Food poisoning comes from improper food safety and handling. You can help keep your family safe with these four food safety tips.
Clean.
Food poisoning-causing bacteria can survive in your kitchen in areas you may not think to consider cleaning. It can live utensils, cutting boards and even your own hands.
Wash your hands, utensils and all cooking surfaces before beginning food preparation. Ensuring these vital items are clean is the first step in preventing foodborne illness. Follow these rules to avoid foodborne illness:
- Wash hands for 20 seconds (that’s singing ABC’s or Happy Birthday twice) with soap and warm water. Do this right away (before) cooking and inbetween dealings with different foods.
- Disinfect cooking surfaces, including cutting boards, and utensils after each use.
- Wash all fruits and veggies – even if you plan on peeling them. Bacteria can spread from the outside to the inside as you cut/peel them.
Separate.
Do you know what cross-contamination is? It is simply mixing the bacteria found on raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs with ready-to-eat foods, such as bread, cheese, or fruits/veggies. You wouldn’t eat raw chicken, so why would you use the same knife that you used to cut the chicken on an apple?
Keep these foods separate from each other to keep your family safe. Follow these rules:
- Keep all meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood separate from other foods at the grocery store.
- Keep all meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood separate from other foods in the refrigerator.
- Use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for produce items and for meat, poultry, eggs and seafood items.
Cook.
Remember that different foods need to be cooked to different temperatures. The “Danger Zone” refers to the temperatures in which bacteria can cause food poisoning, 40° to 140° Fahrenheit.
You cannot tell if food is “done” by checking it’s color. Follow these rules to ensure your food is cooked to the right temperature:
- Use a food thermometer to determine that your food is done. Click here to see a Food and Temperature Chart with safe minimum cooking temperatures.
- Keep hot food, hot. Bacteria growth increases when food cools down, so keep the food hot at 140°F or above.
Chill.
Bacterial grows in perishable food within two hours if left out. Refrigerate food promptly and properly. Follow these rules:
- Refrigerate perishable food within two hours.
- Never thaw or marinate foods on the counter. Why? Bacteria can multiply at room temperature.
- Know when to throw old food out, including refrigerated food. Click here for a Safe Storage Times chart.
If you are worried that you may have food poisoning, click here. You should see a doctor if you have a high fever, blood in stool, prolonged vomiting, signs of dehydration and/or diarrhea for more than 3 days.
Need a doctor? Call Mountain Peaks at 801-724-9840 to make an appointment with one of our award-winning doctors.