Keeping Food At Its Best 33
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Keeping Food Safe to Eat
WHEN YOU PREPARE FOOD
• Clean everything that comes in contact with food.
• Wash your hands for 20 seconds before and after
handling food.
• Sanitize counters, equipment and utensils after
handling raw meat, seafood or poultry. Rinse with a
diluted chlorine bleach solution of one teaspoon to one
quart of water.
• Use clean kitchen towels, sponges and cloths. Replace
sponges every few weeks.
• Use disposable plastic gloves if you have an infected
cut or burn on your hands.
• Thaw food in the refrigerator or microwave oven, not
on the counter. When you thaw food in a microwave
oven, cook it immediately.
• Marinate food only in the refrigerator.
• Rinse poultry and seafood in cold water before
cooking.
• Avoid cross-contamination in preparing food. Keep raw
meat, poultry and seafood and their juices away from
other food. For example, do not use the same surface
and utensils for preparing raw meat, poultry and
seafood that you use for preparing salad ingredients.
• Thoroughly clean your plastic and wooden cutting
boards. Wash with hot water and soap and rinse with a
diluted chlorine bleach solution of one teaspoon to one
quart of water.
WHEN YOU COOK FOOD
• Cook meat to an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C)
or above and poultry to 180°F (80°C) or above. For cuts
more than two inches thick, use a meat thermometer
to check the temperature. For thinner cuts, clear juices
(not pink) are a sign of doneness.
• If you are cooking frozen meat or poultry that has not
been defrosted, increase the cooking time to 1
1
/2 times
the time required for thawed items.
• Roast meats or poultry in oven temperatures of 325°F
(165°C) or above.
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny.
• Do not use recipes in which eggs remain raw or
partially cooked.
• If your microwave has a temperature probe, use it.
Check temperatures of meat and poultry in at least
three spots. Rotate foods during microwaving.
• Do not taste raw or partially cooked meat, poultry,
eggs or fish.
WHEN YOU HAVE LEFTOVERS
• Refrigerate or freeze cooked leftovers in small, covered
containers within two hours after cooking. Make sure
there is adequate air space around the containers so
that food can cool down quickly.
• Remove the stuffing from meat or poultry and store it
separately.
• Date packages of leftovers and use within a safe
period of time.
• Cover and reheat leftovers thoroughly before serving.
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil. Heat other
foods to 165°F
(75°C).
• If you think food may be spoiled, discard it. When in
doubt, throw it out.
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