Food Safety Tips

Following food safety rules helps keep your family from getting sick. Here's how to handle, cook, and store food safely.

Cleaning

Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water.

When to wash your hands:

• Before and after cooking
• After touching raw meat or eggs
• After handling dirty dishes or garbage

Cleaning surfaces and tools:

• Clean kitchen counters before and after cooking.
• Wash utensils after using them.

Cleaning your refrigerator:

• Wipe down the inside regularly to prevent mold and bacteria.
• Use warm, soapy water (never harsh chemicals or cleaners).
• Check expiration dates and throw out old food.

Washing and Prepping

Do wash:

• All produce with cool tap water (no soap needed)
• Fruits with peels before cutting (bananas, oranges, lemons)
• The tops of cans before opening

Don't wash:

• Raw meat, fish, or eggs (washing spreads germs)

Separating Food

Keep raw meat and eggs away from other foods to prevent cross-contamination (spreading germs from one food to another).

• In the refrigerator: Put raw meat and eggs on lower shelves, so juices don't drip on other foods.
• At the store: Keep raw meat and eggs separate in your cart and bags.
• When preparing food: Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat.

Cooking

Cook meats to safe temperatures:

• Chicken, turkey, leftovers, and meat mixtures: 165°F
• Ground beef, meals with eggs: 160°F
• Pork, ham, lamb, beef chunks, fish: 145°F

Use a thermometer to check.

Choking hazards:

• For kids under 4 years old, cut foods into 1⁄2-inch pieces or narrow strips.
• Avoid foods with bones. Avoid small, hard, round foods.

Have your child help:

• Your child can support you in the kitchen by pouring measured milk into a pot or mixing ingredients.
• Your child may be more likely to try new foods during meals if they helped make it.

Food Storage

Foods to store in the refrigerator

To reduce the risk of bacterial growth, put these foods in the refrigerator:

• Milk
• Meat
• Cured meats
• Eggs
• Tortillas
• Nuts and seeds
• Dried fruits
• Condiments like ketchup and mustard

Leftovers

• Leftovers are only okay in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after cooking or 2-3 months in the freezer.
• Put leftovers in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking.
• Keep leftovers in the refrigerator at 40 degrees or less.
  • Reheat leftovers to at least 165 degrees before eating.