The document provides a guide to safe food handling to prevent foodborne illnesses, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness, cooking at proper temperatures, and preventing cross-contamination. It outlines four practical steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill, along with specific temperature guidelines for various food types. Consumers are encouraged to regularly use safe practices and visit www.foodinsight.org for more information.

1. CONSUMER’S GUIDE
to
SAFE FOOD HANDLING
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Here’s what you can do to keep from getting sick.
e United States provides one of the safest food supplies in the world. With the U.S. Food
and Drug Adminisaon (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the
Centers for Disease Conol and Prevenon (CDC), the U.S. Environmental
Protecon Agency (EPA), and the food, beverage and agricultural indusies working
together, our food supply is becoming even safer. However, despite all of these safe factors,
microorganisms may sll exist at levels that present risks to consumers.
It is important for you to think about safe food handling to reduce your risk of foodborne
illness. Here are 4 easy, praccal steps that you can do at home to keep your family safe.
CLEAN:
WASH HANDS SANITIZE
FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES OFTEN
Wash your hands with warm water and soap before and aer preparing
food. Be sure to wash your hands aer using the bathroom, changing
diapers and playing with pets.
Cut vegetables or salad ingredients rst,
then raw meat and pouly.
Wash cung boards, utensils and counter tops with hot soapy water aer
cung raw meat and pouly products and before slicing vegetables or salad
ingredients.
Keep raw meat, pouly, eggs and seafood and their juices away om
ready-to-eat foods.
Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, pouly,
eggs or seafood unless the plate has been thoroughly cleaned between uses.
aw food in the
reigerator or microwave,
not on the kitchen
counter; marinate in the
reigerator.
Use a clean food
thermometer to measure
the internal temperature of
cooked foods to make sure
meat, pouly, casseroles
and other foods are cooked
to a safe temperature.
POULTRY FISH
165°F
Whole pouly and
pouly parts
Cook unl both the
yolk and the white
are rm.
145°F
Beef, veal, and lamb
roasts beef, veal,
pork, lamb steaks
chops. Allow at least 3
minutes standing me
before carving and
eang.
CHILL:
Wash kitchen towels
oen in the hot cycle
of your washing
machine; clean
sponges daily in the
dishwasher to kill
Ground beef,
including meatloaf
Cook unl it is
opaque and akes
easily with a fork.
REFRIGERATE PROMPTLY
Freeze esh meat,
pouly or sh
immediately if you
can't use it within a
few days.
40°F
Put packages of raw meat, pouly or
sh in a shallow pan before
reigerang so their juices won't
drip onto other food.
0°F
bacteria.
If possible, leave a product in its
store wrap; if a package is too large,
divide the contents into smaller
porons, and wrap and eeze what
you don't plan to cook right away.
To kill bacteria,
sanize food-contact
surfaces and cooking
utensils with a
soluon of 1-3
tablespoons of
household chlorine
bleach per gallon of
water.
Wash your cung
boards, dishes,
utensils and counter
tops with hot soapy
water aer
preparing each food
item and before you
go on to the next
food item.
SEPARATE:
AVOID CROSS-CONTAMINATION
Do not use a sponge to soak up meat and pouly juices.
Use disposable paper towels.
COOK:
TO PROPER TEMPERATURES
GROUND
BEEF
160°F
STEAKS
CHOPS EGGS
Reheat sauces, marinades, soups and gravy to a rolling boil. Heat
other leovers thoroughly to at least 165°F.
For more information about safe food handling,
please visit www.foodinsight.org.
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