1. Clean
Bacteria can easily spread around your kitchen and onto food, putting you at risk for food poisoning. To keep bacteria at bay, wash hands, surfaces, cutting boards, cooking utensils, dishes and produce.
- Wash hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Do this before and after touching food.
- Wash your cutting boards, dishes, forks, spoons, knives and counter tops with hot soapy water. Do this after working with each food item.
- Rinse fruits and veggies.
- Clean the lids on canned goods before opening.
2. Separate (Keep Apart)
Keep raw foods to themselves. Germs can spread from one food to another. Cross-contamination occurs when harmful bacteria are transferred to a food from another food or surface; for example, when juices from raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs come into contact with ready-to-eat foods, such as bread or vegetables. When shopping, storing, cooking and eating, keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods.
- Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from other foods.
- Do this in your shopping cart, bags, and fridge.
- Do not reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.
- Use a special cutting board or plate for raw foods only.
3. Cook
Foods need to get hot and stay hot. Heat kills germs. Cooking foods to the safe minimum temperatures kills harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning. Don’t rely upon sight, taste or smell alone; a food thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure foods reach the proper temperature.
- Cook to safe temperatures:
- Beef, Pork, Lamb 145 °F
- Fish 145 °F
- Ground Beef, Pork, Lamb 160 °F
- Turkey, Chicken, Duck 165 °F
- Use a food thermometer to make sure that food is done. You can’t always tell by looking.
4. Chill
Put food in the fridge right away. Refrigerate foods quickly and at a proper temperature to slow the growth of illness-causing bacteria and prevent food poisoning. Use an appliance thermometer to ensure your refrigerator is set at or below 40°F and your freezer is at or below 0°F.
- 2-Hour Rule: Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours after cooking or buying from the store. Do this within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
- Never thaw food by simply taking it out of the fridge.
- Thaw food:
- In the fridge
- Under cold water
- In the microwave
- Marinate foods in the fridge.
Source: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/ucm118524.htm
http://www.homefoodsafety.org/safety-tips