4 Steps to food safety 1. Clean Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, especially after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs Clean surfaces and utensils before and after preparing each food item Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water Clean the lids of canned goods before opening 2. SeparateSeparate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator. Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water. Don’t reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first. 3. Cook Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, seafood, poultry and eggs are cooked to safe internal temperatures. Color and texture are not reliable indicators of safety. When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. 4. Chill Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F. Always marinate food in the refrigerator. Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave.
Proper food handling is critical for reducing your risk of food poisoning. Before #FoodSafetyEducationMonth ends, learn more about the four steps to food safety: www.cdc.gov/food-safety/...
