Be Food Safe

Keeping food safe is an important part of eating healthfully.

These tips will help you handle and prepare foods.

Clean

Wash Hands

Washing hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw food is the best way to reduce the spread of germs that can make you sick.

Clean Surfaces

Keep your scene clean. Use hot water and soap to clean surfaces and inside your fridge. A solution of 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon water can be used to sanitize surfaces.

Rinse Produce

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting, or peeling. This helps remove dirt and bacteria. Do not use soap or bleach to wash produce. These products are not meant for consumption.

Separate

Separate Foods

To prevent cross- contamination, separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in the shopping cart and the fridge.

Use Separate Cutting Boards

Always use a clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that held raw food.

Safely Marinate

Any leftover sauce used to marinate raw meat, poultry, or seafood should be boiled first before adding to cooked food.

Cook & Chill

Use Food Thermometer

Color is not a reliable test for safety. According to USDA research, 1 in 4 hamburgers turns brown before reaching a safe internal temperature.

Cook Food to Safe Temperature

Place your thermometer in the thickest part of food and compare your thermometer reading to the Safe Minimum Temperature Chart below.

Keep Foods at a Safe Temperature

Keep your home fridge temperature at 40 degrees F or below. Refrigerate or freeze prepared foods and leftovers within 2 hours. Thaw food either in the fridge, in cool water, or in the microwave. Never thaw at room temperature.

Adapted from FoodSafety.gov

Safer Food Choices for Adults 65 Years or Older

Older adults have a higher risk of getting sick from food poisoning. Some foods—such as undercooked meat and eggs, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurized milk — are more often associated with food-borne illnesses. Use the information below as a guide to make safer food choices.

  • Use safe cooking temperatures. View the safe Temperature Chart.
  • Heat deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages to 165°F or until steaming hot.
  • Choose cooked sprouts like bean and alfalfa. Avoid raw sprouts.
  • Wash vegetables and fruits. Washed and then cooked are safest.
  • Choose freshly cut melon.
  • Select only pasteurized juices.
  • Choose pasteurized milk.
  • Hard cheese is safer than soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk.
  • Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, and feta are all food safe choices.
  • Make sure to cook eggs until the yolk and whites are firm.
  • Cook fish to a safe internal temperature of 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
  • Shellfish is cooked when shells open during cooking or until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque.
  • Choose smoked fish in sealed, airtight packages or containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening.
  • Choose canned fish and seafood.
  • Choose food made with flour that is cooked following the package directions or recipe.
  • Avoid raw cookie dough or cake batter unless labeled “edible” or “safe to eat raw”.

Adapted from CDC.gov

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