Keeping Your Food Safe

— Written by Niki Maness | December 7, 2022 (Updated: Dec. 7, 2022, 4:21 a.m.)

four steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill — — View original

December is Worldwide Food Service Safety Month. The goals of the month are to focus on keeping food safe as it is prepared in the service industry, as well as remind us to be safe and cook properly when we are making our own food at home. Food safety rules at home and in the food service industry aren't all that different. There are a few basic steps everyone can do to ensure food is prepared and handled safely (you can download the detailed info sheets):

Clean : wash hands and surfaces often
Separate : separate raw meats from other foods during storage and prep
Cook : cook to the recommended temperature
Chill : refrigerate foods quickly after meals

Food safety is crucial to everyone. Many different disease-causing germs can contaminate foods, so there are many different foodborne infections (also called foodborne disease or food poisoning). Most of them are infections, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Harmful toxins and chemicals also can contaminate foods and cause foodborne illness. Some of the most common concerns are:

Other germs don’t cause as many illnesses, but when they do, the illnesses are more likely to lead to hospitalization. Those germs include:

For more information about foodborne illness, visit the Food Safety Portal by the CDC. To learn more about specific foodborne pathogens and organisms, download the Bad Bug Book published by the FDA.

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Written By

Niki Maness Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences

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