Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, can be a serious health concern for all consumers. Good news! Many simple steps can be taken to reduce the risk of foodborne illness when handling food at home.
Check out the tips and suggestions for safe handling of food:
General Tips
- Be mindful of the four main steps to prevent foodborne illness: clean, separate, cook, chill.
- See previous blog for more information: https://blogs.cornell.edu/daytodayeats/2020/04/23/food-safety-basi…-cooking-at-home/
- Washing hands- wash with soap and warm water for at least 20-seconds before food preparation, after food preparation, before consumption, and whenever they are soiled.
- Wash cooking utensils and surfaces- wash with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.
- Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards. One for produce and another for meat (including poultry and seafood). Wash immediately after using.
- Wash knives after cutting eat food item to avoid cross-contamination.
- Avoid the temperature danger zone of 40°F to 140°F in which bacteria can grow.
Protein/Meats
- Store meat, poultry, and seafood away from other items in your refrigerator, ideally on a lower shelf.
- Refrigerate meat, poultry, and seafood as soon as possible at or below 40 °F and consume by the “use by” date.
- Freeze meat properly at or below 0°F for later consumption by the “use by” date.
- Thaw meat, poultry, and seafood in the refrigerator, cold water, or in the microwave.
- Note: Foods thawed in cold water or in the microwave must be cooked immediately.
- Cook meat to the proper temperatures. Check out Fight BAC for more information on temperatures: https://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/
Fruits/Vegetables
- Separate produce from raw meat, poultry, or seafood in the refrigerator
- For preparing fruits and vegetables:
- Remove and throw away any bruised pieces on produce
- Rinse fresh produce with tap water
- Scrub firm produce with tap water and a brush, including the skin or rinds that are not consumed
- Refrigerate all cut, peeled, or cooked produce within 2-hours
- Check out the Fruit and Vegetable Storage Guide to learn more about ways to keep your produce fresh
Dairy
- Refrigerate milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products as soon as possible at or below 40°F
- Consume or discard within 2 days past the expiration date
Grains
- Store uncooked grains in airtight containers to avoid becoming rancid and prevent pest infestation
- Avoid cross-contamination with raw meat, poultry, and seafood
- Refrigerate after cooking
Check out Fight BAC for more information: https://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/.
What safe food handling habits do you practice at home to prevent cross-contamination?
Awesome writing!
I think that clean hands are fundamental for working in a kitchen climate. It’s simple for microbes to spread from the food we contact to entryway handles, plates, cutlery, etc. Hand washing is perhaps the most ideal approaches to forestall the spread of germs between individuals.