Food Safety
Follow these tips to help keep food safety as a top priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report an estimated 1 in 6 Americans get sick from foodborne diseases. As you prepare your meals, here are some important food safety tips to help protect you and your loved ones from food poisoning.
Food Safety Tips #1
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water, even those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.
- Use separate cutting boards and knives for fresh produce and for raw meats.
Food Safety Tips #2
- Defrost food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Take turkeys out of the freezer and thaw in refrigerator 4 to 5 days prior to cooking.
- Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meats or eggs.
- If food has been out for two or more hours, discard it. Bacteria can double every 20 minutes at room temperature.
Food Safety Tips #3
Follow the guidelines below for minimum cooking temperatures for meat, poultry, seafood, and other cooked foods. Be sure to use a food thermometer to check whether meat has reached a safe internal temperature that is hot enough to kill harmful germs that cause food poisoning.
- Poultry – 165°F;
- Pork/Ground Meat – 155°F;
- Seafood/Fish – 145°F;
- Beef Cuts – 145°F
More information on food safety tips.