Keeping Our Food Safe
It is estimated that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. Taking the time to keep food safe is well worth it! It is very important to keep food safety on the top of your list when you are cooking or preserving.
At the Rapid Response Center you will find food safety and preservation newsletters at this link along with recipes and answers to your food related questions!
CLEAN: Washing your hands and cleaning surfaces often will reduce the risk of bacteria spreading. Washing your hands and cleaning surfaces are especially important after handing raw meat.
SEPARATE: Cross contamination is described when pathogens are transferred from one surface to another. This occurs when ready to eat food such as fresh fruits and vegetables are cut on the same unwashed cutting board as raw meat.
COOK: Making sure that food is cooked to the correct internal temperature is incredibly important! Temping your food, especially your meat is critical to reduce foodborne illness.
CHILL: Keep foods out of “The Temperature Danger Zone” (40°-140°F). Harmful bacteria grow rapidly between these temperatures. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours to reduce bacteria growth. Make sure your refrigerator is set to 40° of below.