We know that restaurants must pass regular food safety inspections so how does your kitchen compare? Cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness. Proper food handling helps maintain food quality and nutritional value. You can’t see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that can cause illness in your family. However, if you follow these essential four basic guidelines in food preparation, you can prevent foodborne illness.
- Clean: Wash your hands and kitchen surfaces often
- Separate: Don’t cross contaminate, by separating raw foods from ready to eat foods
- Cook: Always cook foods to the proper temperature using a food thermometer
- Chill: Refrigerate foods promptly
Purchasing
Start with shopping for food. Avoid the contact between fresh foods like produce and potentially hazardous foods such as raw meat and poultry. Shop staples, raw fruits and vegetables first before hitting the perishable foods. Place raw meat and poultry in individual plastic bags if possible and keep separate in the cart and shopping bags.
Safe Temperatures
As a rule of thumb, raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits and vegetables should not sit out at room temperature longer than two hours before placing them in the refrigerator or freezer (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F). Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness. Bacteria grows most rapidly in the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperature is often called the “Danger Zone”.
Thawing
There are certain rules to defrosting food. During thawing, food must be kept at a safe temperature. Here are the only three recommended ways to defrost food safely.
- In the refrigerator as foods remain at a safe, constant temperature of 40°F. Make sure thawing meat and poultry juices do not drip onto other food below it.
- Cold water thawing is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires more attention. Place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and then submerge in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Finally, cook the food immediately after thawing.
- Thawing in the microwave using the defrost setting or by reducing power to 30%. After thawing, cook meat and poultry immediately as bacteria begins to grow as the food is warmed.
Food Preparation
- Before and after any food preparation, always wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds.
- Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, avoid any cross-contamination by washing the cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water.
- Cutting boards can be sanitized by using a solution of 1 teaspoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water or wash them in a dishwasher.
- Any meat and poultry that needs marinating should be done in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Cooking
A food thermometer should always be used to verify food has reached a safe internal temperature. The minimum cooking temperatures are:
- Fish and shellfish: 145°F
- Raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts: 145°F
- Eggs and ground meats such as beef, pork, lamb, and veal: 160°F
- Poultry and ground poultry: 165°F
- Casseroles: 165°F
Serving
- When serving food, keep hot foods hot at 140°F or warmer and cold foods cold at 40°F.
- Perishable foods need to be refrigerated within two hours.
Leftovers
- If food has been left out longer than two hours, discard it (within one hour if the temperature was above 90°F) to avoid illness causing bacteria.
- Divide leftovers into clean, shallow containers so it chills faster.
- Leftovers should be reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Most cooked leftovers need to be eaten or discarded within 3 – 4 days.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service provides food safety guidelines to consumers for use in the home.
Live Smart Colorado feature articles, developed by Colorado State University Extension specialists, provide research-based, practical information to support lifelong nutrition, physical, financial, and emotional health and well-being for Coloradans.