Clean

Harmful bacteria can spread quickly in the kitchen and cause foodborne illness. To Fight BAC!™

Personal Cleanliness Guidelines:

Always follow these personal cleanliness guidelines:

• Wash hands before and after preparing food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, handling pets, or blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing on your hands.
• To wash hands for safe food handling: Wet hands with warm water and then apply soap; rub hands together for 20 seconds before rinsing them thoroughly.
• Wear a clean, plastic glove over a skin cut.
• Sneeze or cough away from food.

Follow kitchen cleanliness guidelines:

• Wash cutting boards, knives, utensils, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to the next food item to avoid cross-contamination. (Cross-contamination is the term used to describe how bacteria and other germs spread from one source, such as a food or person, to another; e.g., bacteria in meat drippings can spread to fresh produce in the grocery cart.)
• Under normal circumstances, washing thoroughly with soap and hot water is effective for personal and kitchen cleanliness. People do not need to use antibacterial soaps and products.
• Sanitizing boards and surfaces with a solution stronger than soap and water (one teaspoon of bleach added to one quart of water) may be important when preparing food in daycare settings, in group homes, or for those at high risk for illness.
• Wash wooden or plastic cutting boards in hot, soapy water after each use. If possible, use plastic rather than wooden boards as plastic boards can be put in the dishwasher. Heavily scratched boards are difficult to get completely clean and free of bacteria. If the board’s surface gets heavily scratched, buy a new board.
• Keep kitchen towels and sponges clean. Wash cloth towels in the hot cycle of a washing machine.
• Clean a sponge by doing one of the following:
  • Drop it in boiling water for a short time.
  • Saturate it with a dilute bleach solution (one teaspoon of bleach added to one quart of water) and then squeeze it.
  • Moisten it with water and heat it in the microwave until it steams.
• Use clean dishes and utensils when serving food. Do not use your personal spoon in a serving dish.
• Use clean, covered containers to store food.
• Keep your refrigerator clean.
• Wipe off lids of cans before opening, and wash your can opener often.
• Keep your cupboards, floors, and counter tops clean and free from insects and rodents. Insects and rodents carry bacteria which can cause foodborne illness.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables under running water. This is more effective than soaking the fruits and vegetables. Wash the rind or skin even if you are not going to eat it. Bacteria from the skin or rind can spread to the inside section when the fruit or vegetable is cut or peeled. Use a scrub brush to loosen dirt on hard vegetables. Do not use soap or detergent.

Separate

Cross-contamination is a special problem with raw meat, poultry, and seafood and the juices from these foods. Read the "Safe Handling Instructions" labels on raw and partially precooked meat and poultry products. To Fight BAC!™

Follow shopping guidelines:

• Put raw meat, poultry, and seafood and fresh fruits and vegetables in separate plastic bags.
• Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in your cart so that juices do not drip on other foods.
• Buy packaged, precooked foods only if there are no tears in the packaging.
• Buy unpackaged, cooked meat or poultry from deli refrigerated cases only if the meat and poultry are not in contact with other foods in the case.

Follow storing guidelines:

• Use plastic bags or foil over the store packaging on meat and poultry, or store these foods on a plate on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. This prevents juices from dripping onto other foods.
• Use freezer wrap/bags or heavy-duty aluminum foil over the commercial wrap on food stored in the freezer.

Follow preparing/serving guidelines:

• If possible, buy two cutting boards. Use one for cutting raw meat and the other for fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods.
• Always wash cutting boards, knives, and other utensils with hot, soapy water after using them with raw meat, poultry, or seafood. According to the FDA, soap and hot water do a good job. However, the FDA recommends using a dishwasher or a bleach solution (one teaspoon of bleach added to one quart of water) as the most effective way to sanitize cutting boards after using them for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Never put cooked meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs on the same unwashed plate that was used for the raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs. Use clean dishes and utensils for the cooked food.
• Never reuse marinades. Do not dip cooked foods in or brush them with marinades which have been used on raw foods.
• Bake stuffing separately, or stuff raw products, like turkey, just before cooking.

Cook

Foods must be cooked for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. To Fight BAC!™

Follow general cooking guidelines:

• Use oven temperatures of 325°F or higher to cook meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Avoid interrupted cooking, such as refrigerating partially cooked products to finish cooking later.
• Do not use recipes which call for cooking without a heat source, such as putting meat or poultry in boiling water or in a preheated oven and then turning off the heat.

Follow guidelines for meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs:

• Do not taste meat, poultry, eggs, fish, or shellfish when raw or during cooking.
• Cook meat and poultry to the correct temperature.
• Using a meat thermometer is the only way you can be sure meat is thoroughly cooked. The color of meat does not guarantee that meat has reached a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria. If a thermometer is not available, always cook poultry, pork, and ground meat until you see clear juices and no pink color.
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Do not eat raw or partially cooked eggs.
• Cook fish until it flakes easily with a fork.

Follow microwave guidelines for even cooking:

• Cover food. If using plastic wrap, do not let it touch the food. At high temperatures, food may absorb chemicals from plastic wrap.
• Stir food and turn the container during cooking. Turn over large pieces of food.
• Check the temperature of the food in at least three spots.
• Follow package directions for cooking times. Let cooked food stand for the recommended time before serving.
• Always reheat takeout food in a microwave-safe container.

Follow slow cooker or smoker guidelines:

• Start with fresh, rather than frozen, food.
• Use chunks of meat rather than large cuts.
• Be sure the recipe includes a liquid.
• Check the internal temperature in three spots to be sure the food is cooked to 160°F.

Follow serving guidelines:

• Keep hot food at 140°F or higher.

Follow guidelines for reheating leftovers:

• Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil.
• Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165°F or until hot and steaming throughout.

Chill

Bacteria grow fastest when food is in the Danger Zone, between 40°F and 140°F. Room temperature is in the Danger Zone. Refrigerate foods quickly. Cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. To Fight BAC!™

Follow shopping guidelines:

• Buy foods labeled "Keep Refrigerated" only if they are stored in a refrigerated case in the store.
• Buy frozen products only if they are frozen to the touch in the store.
• Shop for refrigerated and frozen products last. Pack them together. If takes more than one hour to get home, use a cooler.
• Within two hours (or one hour if it’s hot out), refrigerate, freeze, serve, or reheat cooked foods.

Follow storing guidelines:

• Set the refrigerator at 40°F or colder and the freezer at 0°F or colder. Check these temperatures occasionally with an appliance thermometer.
• Be sure you have enough refrigerator or freezer space for your foods. Cool air needs to circulate to keep food safe.
• Refrigerate foods labeled: "Keep Refrigerated." Freeze foods labeled: "Keep Frozen."
• Do not store perishable foods in the refrigerator door. Put them on the shelves in the main part of the refrigerator. Foods stored in the door can change temperature when the refrigerator is opened.
• If your refrigerator or freezer stops working, keep the doors closed. If the refrigerator/freezer will be out for a long time, find some other refrigerator for your food such as in a neighbor’s home, a school, or a church.
• Tips for refrigerated foods include:
  • Foods will stay cold for four-to-six hours.
  • Open the door only to add bags of ice.
  • When the refrigerator is working again, check the temperature to see if it is still 40°F or below. Perishable foods which have been kept above 40°F for more than two hours should be thrown out.
• Tips for frozen foods include:
  • Foods in a full freezer will stay frozen for about two days. Foods in a half-full freezer will stay frozen for about one day.
  • Cover the freezer with blankets, but be sure to keep the air vent uncovered.
  • When the freezer is working again, check the temperature to see if it is still 0°F or below. Refreeze food which has ice crystals. Meat which is thawed but has been kept below 40°F can be cooked and refrozen.

Follow preparation guidelines:

• Never thaw meat, poultry, or seafood on the kitchen counter. Thaw these foods in one of the following ways: (1) in the refrigerator; (2) under cold water changed every 30 minutes or under cold, running water (put the food in a leakproof package or a plastic bag); or (3) in the microwave (food thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing).
• Never marinate food on the kitchen counter. Use the refrigerator.

Follow serving/handling leftovers guidelines:

• When the temperature in the serving area is 90°F or warmer, do not let perishable food sit out for more than one hour before reheating, refrigerating, or freezing the food.
• When the temperature in the serving area is below 90°F, do not let perishable food sit out for more than two hours before reheating, refrigerating, or freezing the food. Perishable food left out for more than two hours should be thrown out. Be very careful with milk, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, takeout food, leftovers, and infant formula.
• Cool leftovers quickly. Divide large amounts of food into smaller amounts. Store food in small, shallow, loosely covered containers. Cover tightly when the food has cooled. Hot foods can be put directly into the refrigerator or freezer.
• Remove the stuffing from leftover poultry and other leftover, stuffed meats. Refrigerate stuffing in a separate container.
• Use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days. Freeze foods which cannot be used in this time period.

Final Important Message:

"If in doubt, throw it out!"

• Do not taste leftovers to try to determine safety.
• Most moldy food should be thrown out.
• Put possibly unsafe food in the garbage disposal or in tightly wrapped packages in a covered garbage can. This keeps the food away from both people and animals.
• Learn to recognize when canned/packaged and perishable foods are no longer safe to eat. Do not buy or use cracked eggs; food in bulging, rusty, or leaking cans or jars; or food in cans with dents along the seams or rims. Throw all of these items out!
• Do not buy foods with expired "sell-by," "use-by," or "pull-by" dates.

What happens to food in the home is extremely important. By applying these Key Messages, you can reduce the risk of foodborne illness for yourself and your family.

Authors:
Joan E. Helzer, M.S., R.D., Lucia L. Kaiser, Ph.D., R.D.
TechnicalConsultants: Linda J. Harris, Ph.D., Christine M. Bruhn, Ph.D