Keeping Your Food Safe

Summer is the time for barbecuing, picnicking, and outdoor activities. It's a good time to review some tips on keeping your food safe and preventing foodborne illness.

Although the food supply in the United States is very safe, millions of people still become sick every year from a foodborne infection. Sometimes these illnesses can be severe and even deadly. Persons at higher risk for serious illness are those with other illnesses or immunocompromising conditions, young children, and the elderly.

Foodborne illnesses are caused by microorganisms present in food. These may be bacteria--such as Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli--viruses, or protozoa. They can contaminate foods we eat every day--meat, milk, fish and shellfish, poultry, eggs, fruit, and fresh vegetables, to name a few. If these organisms are given a chance to grow and multiply in food, they will make you sick even though the food itself may look and smell fine.

Many foodborne illnesses occur because of the way food is handled and prepared in the home. You can help prevent these infections by not giving harmful microorganisms a chance to multiply or contaminate other foods. Here are some tips for keeping your food safe and yourself and your family healthy.

Wash hands
  • Wash hands with soap and water before and after preparing food. Wash them after handling raw meat or poultry and before handling ready-to-eat food.
Prevent cross-contamination
  • Keep raw meats and poultry separate from other foods. Don't allow their juices to drip on other foods.
  • Clean and disinfect cutting boards and kitchen surfaces after preparing food. Clean them after handling raw meat, poultry or fish before they are used again for other foods.
  • When barbecuing or cooking meat, use a different plate for cooked food than the one that held the raw food. Use different utensils also.
Cook foods thoroughly

NOTE: It is especially important to cook meat and eggs properly. These foods can be particularly dangerous if not fully cooked.

  • Meat and poultry should be cooked all the way through until the juices run clear. Hamburgers should be cooked to a temperature of 160° and should be brown inside, not pink.
  • Do not taste or eat raw, rare, or even pink ground meat or poultry in any form. When eating out, order ground meats thoroughly cooked.
  • Cook seafood until it is opaque and flaky. Do not eat raw shellfish, such as oysters or clams, even if marinated.
  • Cook eggs thoroughly; they should be firm and not runny.
  • Avoid eating other foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as Caesar salad dressing or cookie dough.
Store food properly
  • Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods right away after coming home from the store.
  • Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator or microwave oven, not on the kitchen counter or in the sink.
  • Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold after they are prepared.
  • Do not leave food out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
  • Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly in shallow containers or tightly wrapped bags.