Food Safety

Food safety is the way you prepare, handle and store food to help avoid getting sick from germs in your food. You can think of food safety in terms of four Cs. These include:

• Clean: Wash your cooking and eating utensils, surfaces, hands and produce.
• Cross-contamination: Handle your food safely, and keep things like raw meat and prepared food separate. Cross-contamination is when germs from one place move to another.
• Chill: Keep your food stored at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook: Cook food to safe temperatures to kill germs.

Foodborne illness doesn't just mean a few days of hanging out by the toilet. Bacteria, viruses, mold and even parasites can contaminate food. Some of these are harmless or cause mild illness. But others, like botulism and Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe illness and sometimes death.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) work to keep food safe before it gets to the grocery stores. They give recommendations for keeping yourself safe from foodborne illness once food gets to your door.

Clean

While preparing food, keep your hands, utensils and surfaces clean:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and clean water before cooking and serving foods. Wash your hands right after handling raw meat.
• Wash fruits and vegetables with clean, running water, even if you’ll also peel them. If you’re not sure if the water is safe to cook with, use bottled water.
• Wash cooking utensils, cutting boards and surfaces with warm, soapy water after use.
• Don’t wash raw chicken. Washing it can spread germs.

Cross-contamination

To avoid cross-contamination:

• Prepare foods that need to be cooked (like raw meat) on a different surface from foods that won’t be cooked (like vegetables). For instance, use different cutting boards for different types of foods.
• Don’t use the same utensils on raw meat and prepared food. If you have to reuse utensils, wash them after use on raw food.
• Store raw meats in sealed containers or securely wrap them, so they're away from other foods.

Chill (safe food storage)

Foods can grow bacteria if left out at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (between 4.4 and 60 degrees Celsius). This is often called the “food danger zone.” Some ways to store food safely include:

• Keep your fridge between 35 F and 38 F (between 2 C and 4 C). Keep your freezer below 0 F (-18 C).
• Refrigerate or freeze raw meat and other perishable foods as soon as you get home from the grocery store.
• Refrigerate foods after opening if the label recommends it.
• Refrigerate perishable foods (like meats and casseroles) within two hours. Refrigerate after one hour if they’re left out in warm weather.
• Check expiration dates carefully. Throw out expired foods or foods that have visible mold or bacteria growth. Don’t eat meat or dairy products that smell bad.

Cooking

Cook meats until they reach the recommended internal temperature (use a meat thermometer to measure this). High temperatures kill germs. Eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or eggs can make you sick.

The USDA recommends the following internal temperatures:

• Fish with fins (not shellfish): 145 F (63 C)
• Cuts of beef or pork (not ground): 145 F (63 C) — allow meat to rest for three minutes before cutting or eating
• Ground beef or ground pork: 160 F (71 C)
• Poultry (like chicken and turkey): 165 F (74 C)

Guidelines for cooking other foods include:

• Casseroles, leftovers and precooked ham: Cook to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C).
• Clams, mussels and oysters: Cook until the shells open.
• Crab, lobster, scallops and shrimp: Cook until pearly white or no longer transparent.
• Eggs: Cook until the whites and yolk are firm.

Additional food safety recommendations

Other tips for staying safe from foodborne illnesses include:

• Don’t drink unpasteurized (raw) milk or juices. Don’t eat foods made with unpasteurized milk (like certain ice creams, cheeses or yogurts).
• Don’t feed honey to kids under 1. Babies can get infant botulism from honey.
• Only drink water you know is safe to drink. If you’re unsure, drink and cook with bottled water.
• Check for recalls and throw out food that’s been recalled for safety.