3.1 Preventing Foodborne Illnesses

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services¹, the following food safety practices should be followed:

1) CLEAN

When cooking, wash utensils, surfaces, and hands often.

The proper handwashing technique is to:

Use soap and water. Pay special attention to scrubbing the backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds, which should be the same time to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
After rinsing hands, dry with a clean paper towel.
When to wash hands? Wash often, especially during these times :
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- After handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices, or uncooked eggs
- Before eating
- After using the toilet
- After touching garbage
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

When to wash surfaces and utensils?

After each use:

Remove damaged areas on fruits and vegetables, then rinse under running water without soap, bleach, or commercial produce washes.
Scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush.
Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth towel.
Do not wash bagged produce marked “pre-washed”.

To avoid Cross-Contamination:

Use separate cutting boards and utensils for produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs

Cook to the Correct Temperature.²

Use a food thermometer to be sure your food is safe; place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food, making sure not to touch bone, fat, or gristle in meat.

Correctly refrigerate and freeze foods.

Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours or 1 hour for foods exposed to temperatures above 90°F.

Keep foods out of the Danger Zone³: Bacteria that cause food poisoning grow quickest between 40°F and 140°F.
Refrigerators should be set to 40°F or below and freezers to 0°F or below
The safest way to thaw foods is in the refrigerator.
Harmful germs are not destroyed by freezing.