Food Safety In The Kitchen

We all know that food safety is important. But many of us don’t realize just how important we are in ensuring food safety for our family. Farmers, food processors, restaurants, and grocery stores are doing everything they can to ensure that we have safe food to eat. It’s up to us to make sure of that once we get the food home.

Only 20% [of people] believe their family could become ill from chicken prepared in the home.

1. Proper storage. Keep raw meats separate from other foods – in your grocery cart, in your grocery bags, in your refrigerator, and on your counter. Keep raw meats refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Keep raw meats on a plate on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. This helps to reduce contamination if the juices from the meats drip. Follow these guidelines for how long to keep food around in your refrigerator before cooking.
2. Proper preparation. Wash your hands, with soap, under running water for at least 20 seconds before handling food. Wash again after you touch raw meats.
3. Proper cleaning. Wash all fruits and vegetables under running water before slicing or eating. All produce should be washed, even if you will not eat the skin or rind. Any produce labeled “pre-washed” or “ready to eat” does not need to be washed. Do not rinse raw meats.
4. Proper handling. Do not keep raw meats at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is more than 90 degrees) before refrigerating or cooking. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and other foods (like fresh fruits or vegetables). If you’re taking meat out of the freezer, follow these tips for safe thawing.
5. Proper cooking. Use a thermometer every time you cook any kind of meat. It is very difficult to tell just by how meat looks if it is thoroughly cooked. Find an overview of proper cooking temperatures for different types of meats here.
6. Proper refrigeration. Refrigerate all cooked food within 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees). Any leftovers should be eaten within 3-4 days. After 4 days, leftovers should be thrown away.

The good news is that you are probably already doing most of these. Now put the rest of these techniques into practice in your home!

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