Illness caused by improper food handling and contaminated or spoiled food is very common. It can be deadly for anyone with a compromised immune system, the very young, and seniors.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: one hour
Here's How:
- Wash hands, food preparation surfaces and utensils thoroughly before and after handling raw foods to prevent recontamination of cooked foods.
- Keep refrigerated foods below 40 degrees Farenheit.
- Serve hot foods immediately or keep them heated above 140 degrees F.
- Cook meat, especially poultry and pork to the recommended internal temperature.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
- Avoid non-pasteurized foods.
- Dispose of any canned food when the can is bulging, or has a bad odor.
- Avoid eating at buffets when food may not be stored properly.
- Avoid eating foods that contain raw eggs.
- Never leave foods such as potato salad out of the refrigerator more than 2 hours.
- Make grocery shopping your last errand of the day. Refrigerate all food promptly.
- Package all raw meat to prevent juices dripping on other foods.
- Discard any thawed food that has risen to room temperature and remained there 2 hours or more.
- Immediately discard any food with a strange color or odor.
- Use plastic cutting boards which are easier to sanitize than wooden ones.
Tips:
- If in doubt, toss it out.
- Cook red meat to 160 degrees F, poultry to 180 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer.
What You Need:
- How to use a meat thermometer
