An estimated 1 in 6 Americans will get sick from food poisoning this year alone. Food poisoning not only sends 128,000 Americans to the hospital each year, it can also cause long-term health problems.
You can help keep your family safe from food poisoning at home by following these simple steps: clean, separate, cook and, chill.
Food safety involves a comprehensive set of practices and guidelines that span from purchasing to storing, preparing, cooking, and serving food.
1. Clean: Keep everything clean
Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
Clean surfaces (cutting boards, countertops, utensils) with hot, soapy water.
Wash produce under running water (even if you plan to peel it).
2. Separate: Avoid cross-contamination
Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods.
Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods.
Store raw meats on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to avoid drips onto other food.
3. Cook: Cook to safe temperatures
Use a food thermometer to ensure food reaches safe internal temperatures:
Poultry (chicken, turkey): 165°F (74°C)
Ground meat (beef, pork): 160°F (71°C)
Steaks, chops, roasts: 145°F (63°C) + 3-minute rest
Fish: 145°F (63°C)
Leftovers: Reheat to 165°F (74°C)
4. Chill: Refrigerate properly
Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours (or within 1 hour if over 90°F / 32°C).
Keep your refrigerator at or below 40°F (4°C) and freezer at or below 0°F (-18°C).
Don’t thaw food at room temperature. Thaw in the fridge, cold water, or microwave.
5. Know when to throw it out
Follow use-by and expiration dates.
When in doubt, throw it out—don’t taste test questionable food.
Leftovers should be eaten or frozen within 3–4 days.
Use plain soap and water. Skip the antibacterial, soap and scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails for at least 20 seconds.
Wash your hands often, especially during these key times when germs can spread:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- After handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices, or uncooked eggs
- Before eating
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After handling pet food or pet treats.
Germs that can make you sick can survive in many places around your kitchen, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops.
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water, especially after they’ve held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
- Wash dish cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
Wash fruits and vegetables.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas, then rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without soap, bleach, or commercial produce washes.
- Scrub firm produce like melons or cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
- Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth towel.
- Don’t wash meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood to avoid spreading harmful germs around your kitchen.
Separate cutting boards and plates for produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
- Use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods.
- Use hot, soapy water to thoroughly wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or flour.
Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature is high enough to kill germs that can make you sick.
If you’re not serving food right after cooking, keep it out of the temperature danger zone (between 40°F -140°F) where germs grow rapidly by using a heat source like a chafing dish, warming tray, or slow cooker.
Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours. Bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickest between 40°F and 140°F.