Keeping food safe is crucial to prevent foodborne illness. By following simple steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of harmful bacteria contaminating your meals.
Based on expert guidance, the core precautions for food safety revolve around four key actions: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Adhering to these principles ensures that food is handled properly from preparation to storage.
The Four Pillars of Food Safety
Understanding and implementing these four steps can protect you and your family from potentially dangerous foodborne pathogens.
Clean: Wash Thoroughly
Cleanliness is the first line of defense against harmful bacteria. It's essential to minimize contamination by washing surfaces, tools, and hands.
- Wash hands: Always wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds, especially before handling food, after using the restroom, and after touching raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
- Wash surfaces and tools: Clean counters, cutting boards, utensils, and cooking tools with hot, soapy water before and after preparing food.
- Wash food: Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. Even if you plan to peel them, wash them first to prevent dirt and bacteria from transferring from the surface to the inside.
Separate: Avoid Cross-Contamination
Keeping different types of food apart, especially raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from ready-to-eat foods, is vital to prevent the spread of bacteria.
- Keep raw foods separate: Always keep raw foods to themselves. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, or wash them thoroughly between uses.
- Separate in the cart and fridge: Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in plastic bags at the grocery store to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods. Store them on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to prevent drippings from contaminating ready-to-eat items.
Cook: Heat to the Right Temperature
Cooking food to the correct internal temperature kills harmful bacteria.
- Foods need to get hot and stay hot: Use a food thermometer to ensure foods reach a safe minimum internal temperature.
- Ground meat: 160°F (71°C)
- Poultry: 165°F (74°C)
- Leftovers and casseroles: 165°F (74°C)
- Beef, pork, lamb, and veal (steaks, roasts, chops): 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest time
- Fish: 145°F (63°C) or until opaque and flakes easily
- Keep hot foods hot (above 140°F / 60°C) when serving.
Chill: Refrigerate Promptly
Prompt refrigeration at appropriate temperatures slows the growth of bacteria.
- Put food in the fridge right away: Refrigerate perishable foods within two hours. If the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), refrigerate within one hour.
- Maintain fridge temperature: Ensure your refrigerator is set to 40°F (4°C) or below and your freezer is set to 0°F (-18°C) or below.
- Thaw foods safely: Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Never thaw food at room temperature.
By consistently applying these four simple steps – Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill – you can significantly reduce the risk of foodborne illness and ensure the safety of your food.
