Food Safety
Food Safety Basics
clean
Wash hands and
surfaces often.
separate
Don’t cross-contaminate.
cook
Cook to proper temperatures, checking with a food thermometer.
chill
Refrigerate promptly.
shopping
Do not buy food past “Sell-By,” “Use-By,” or other expiration dates.
storage
Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is
above 90 °F).
thawing
The refrigerator allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing meat and poultry juices do not drip onto other food.
preparation
Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water.
cooking
To find the correct cooking temperature for a variety of meats such as beef, pork, chicken, veal, lamb and more, check out this chart on the
USDA’s website.
serving
Perishable food should not be left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour when the temperature is
above 90 °F).
leftovers
Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature was above 90 °F).
refreezing
Meat and poultry that has been defrosted in the fridge can be frozen again before or after it has been cooked. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.
For more information on food safety, visit this USDA webpage!