Four Basic Food Safety Rules
1. Clean:
Wash hands and surfaces often. Keep everything clean while preparing holiday meals. Wash hands and kitchen surfaces often with soap and water. Wash cutting boards, dishes, and utensils after preparing each food item and before going on to the next item. Paper towels are recommended for cleaning up kitchen surfaces.
2. Separate:
Don't cross-contaminate. Because that's when bacteria can spread from one food to another. This is especially true when handling meats and ready-to-eat foods that don't need further preparation. Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods when shopping at the grocery store and in your refrigerator. Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and a separate one for other food. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat and poultry unless the plate has been thoroughly cleaned.
3. Cook:
Cook to proper temperatures. Use a food thermometer to make sure meat and poultry are cooked to proper temperatures. Do not second-guess the internal temperature of cooked foods. Cook whole poultry to 180 ºF in the thigh. When reheating, leftovers should be thoroughly heated to 165 ºF; sauces, soup, and gravy should be brought to a rolling boil. Eggs are safe to use in food such as homemade eggnog or Caesar salad as long as egg mixtures are cooked to 160 ºF. Use a food thermometer to make sure the mixture has reached the proper temperature.
4. Chill:
Refrigerate promptly. Conley reminds consumers to refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours. Place leftovers into shallow containers for rapid cooling. The refrigerator should be maintained at 40 °F or below and the freezer at 0 °F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature. Keep hot foods hot, 140 ºF or above, and cold foods cold, 40 ºF or below. This is especially true for holiday buffets. Use chafing dishes, crock pots, and warming trays to keep foods hot. Keep cold foods cold by nesting the serving dishes in bowls of ice. Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in a cold water bath, or in the microwave. Marinate foods in the refrigerator |
