Food Handling Safety: The Basics

Food safety isn’t something to be taken lightly. You can get sick or cause others to get sick if you do not handle food properly. In some cases, mishandling foods could even be fatal, especially for younger children or people with food intolerances. That’s why food handling safety is important for everyone to understand.

1.       Keep hands and surfaces clean.  Always wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Wash cutting boards and knives with hot soapy water after food preparation, especially after cutting raw meat, poultry or seafood.

2.       Always refrigerate foods promptly. Perishables, prepared food and leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours. Leaving them at room temperature isn’t safe.  

3.       Always thaw food in the refrigerator. Defrosting food by sitting it on the counter at room temperature is not recommended.

4.       Cook food thoroughly. To make sure the food is completely cooked, check the internal temperature with a thermometer.  Here are a few basic temperatures to keep in mind:

• Beef (ground) and pork: 160 degrees F.
• Chicken or turkey (ground): 165 degrees F.
• Beef, veal, lamb (roasts, chops, steaks): 160-170 degrees F.
• Chicken and turkey breasts: 170 degrees F.
• Chicken or turkey (legs, thighs and wings): 180 degrees F.

5.       IF you don’t have access to a thermometer, you can use visual signs to tell if the food is cooked completely. These signs include:

• Steam rises from food
• Meat and poultry leak clear juices
• Pork, veal and poultry are white inside, not pink or red
• Shellfish should be opaque and fish should flake easily when touched with a fork
• Egg yolks are firm and egg whites are opaque

6.       Handle raw meet with care. Unless the cutting board has been washed thoroughly, it’s important to never place ready to serve food on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.

7.       Storage is important.  Raw meat, poultry and seafood should be tightly wrapped and stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. That way, the raw juices won’t drip on other foods and cause cross contamination.

8.       Wash dish towels frequently. Harmful bacteria can spread quickly in an unclean kitchen. That’s why it’s important to replace and wash dish towels and sponges often. It’s also better to use paper towels to dry washed hands after handling raw foods instead of dish towels.