Food Safety Tips

Food poisoning sends more than 100,000 Americans to the hospital every year and millions more become sick from contaminated food (FoodSafety.gov, 2013). 

Some quick and easy tips to follow are:

Clean:  Wash hands and surfaces often

Separate:  Don't cross-contaminate

Cook:  Cook to proper temperature – use a thermometer

Chill:  Refrigerate with 2 hours (Foodsafety.gov, n.d.).

Storing food properly before and after cooking is important for maintaining the health of one’s self, family, and friends. The “Danger Zone” for bacterial growth in foods is between temperatures of 40 - 140^o F (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2010).  Perishable and cooked foods should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours and within one hour if temperatures are 90^o F or above (Food Safety.gov, n.d.).  The refrigerator should be set at a temperature of 40-32^o F while the freezer retains a temperature of 0^o F or below to maintain food safety (USDA, 2010).  Stay healthy this Thanksgiving by remembering these simple food safety tips!

 

References:

Foodsafety.gov. (2013). Check your steps. Retrieved from:

 

     http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html

United States Department of Agriculture. (2010). Safe food handling: refrigeration and food

     safety. Retrieved from: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Refrigeration_&_Food_