Food Safety for Your Family

Preparing and Cooking Raw Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Egg Products

• Wash your hands with hot water and soap before preparing foods and after handling raw meat, poultry, fish, or egg products.
• Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods in the refrigerator and on countertops.
• Designate one cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and fish.
• Use separate utensils for cooking and serving raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.
• Never put cooked food on a dish that was holding raw meat, poultry, or fish.
• Thaw meat, poultry, and fish in the refrigerator or microwave, never at room temperature.
• Cook thawed meat, poultry, and fish immediately.
• Throw away any leftover uncooked meat, poultry, or fish marinades.
• Remove stuffing from poultry after cooking and store it separately in the refrigerator.
• Do not allow raw eggs to sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection.
• Thoroughly cook eggs.
• Never serve foods that contain raw eggs, such as uncooked cookie dough, homemade eggnog, mousse, and homemade ice cream. If you want to use these recipes, substitute pasteurized eggs (found in the grocery store's dairy case) for raw eggs.
• Cook meat until the juices run clear.
• Cook ground beef or poultry until it's no longer pink.

When cooking, broiling, or grilling meats on the stove, turn them over at least once. In the microwave, cover all meats and:

• Turn patties over, stir, or rotate foods halfway through cooking. Cook large pieces of meat on medium (50%) power for longer periods to ensure meat is cooked in center.
• Cooking times may vary so use a food thermometer to be sure food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature.
• Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer.

Cleaning Up

Clean food is just one part of the food safety equation. You also need to be sure that your kitchen surfaces and your hands are clean to prevent the spread of bacteria.

• Refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible after cooking. If left to sit at room temperature, bacteria in the food will multiply quickly.
• Consume leftovers within 3 to 4 days or throw them out.
• Wash cutting boards — which can become a breeding ground for bacteria if they aren't cleaned carefully — separately from other dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water. Cutting boards can be sanitized with a homemade cleaning solution (1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water). After washing and disinfecting the cutting board, rinse it thoroughly with plain water and pat with paper towels or leave it to air dry.
• Don't use old cutting boards with cracks or deep gouges because bacteria may hide in the crevices of the board.
• Wash your hands if they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, or fish.
• Don't use a dish towel to wipe your hands after handling raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs — use paper towels instead. Bacteria can contaminate the cloth towels and can then spread to another person's hands.
• After preparing food, wipe your kitchen counters and other exposed surfaces with hot soapy water or a commercial or homemade cleaning solution. Consider using paper towels to clean surfaces.
• Because sponges stay wet longer and their porous quality attracts bacteria, experts recommend using a thinner dishrag that can dry between uses instead of a sponge.
• Wash dirty dishrags and towels in hot soapy water.
• Periodically sanitize your kitchen sink, drain, and garbage disposal by pouring in a commercial or homemade cleaning solution.

Taking these simple precautions can reduce the chance of foodborne illnesses in your family.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2011