Food Safety Tips
A Comprehensive Resource

Keep your space—and stomach—clean. Maintain a clean and orderly kitchen.

Practice smart shopping.

• Purchase non-perishable items first.
• Never choose packaging that is torn, dented, leaking, rusted, bulging, or otherwise damaged.
• Check expiration dates and buy fresh products.
  1. Also note the "best before" label.
• Ask for information concerning unpackaged foods.

Be alert for local, national, and international food recalls or alerts.

Ensure safe storage.

• Follow storage and cooking instructions as outlined on the label.
• Set the correct temperature for your fridge (40 degrees F, or less) and freezer (0 degrees F, or less)
• Cook (or freeze) fresh meat or fish within 2 days; beef, lamb, pork, and veal can last up to 5 days.
• Preserve meat and poultry by wrapping it securely; you’ll also prevent the juices from leaking and contaminating other foods.
• High-acid canned food (tomatoes, pineapple) can safely last for approximately 12-18 months on your pantry shelf.
• Low-acid canned food (fish, vegetables, meat) can keep up to 5 years, if in good condition and in a suitably dry and cool location.

Always wash your hands and, if needed, the food in question (even if it looks clean!).

• Use clean water to rinse of fruits and vegetables which don’t need peeled.
• Wash each lettuce leaf and grape pod individually.
• Use soap and water for those which will be peeled.
• Always wash all surfaces, utensils, and cutting boards that came in contact with raw meat and fish.

Keep sinks and counters clean, as clean as possible at all times.

Beware cross-contamination. Keep raw and cooked foods apart. Food safety must always be a priority.

Thoroughly cook your food. Undercooked food is a haven for germs and bad bacteria; ensure your food is hot all the way through with a food thermometer that can measure that internal temperature at the thickest part.

• Beef and pork should be cooked to at least 160 degrees F;
  1. Ensure that the meat has lost its pink hues (exteriorly and interiorly)
• Poultry at 180+ degrees
  1. Look for clear juices before serving.
• Ground beef, lamb, veal, and pork at 160+ degrees
• Fish should be cooked until they flake (but not crumble); shrimp until they turn opaquely pink; oysters until they become plump.

Avoid raw meat and all raw seafood.

Put the fridge to good use;

• Keep marinated meats (always in a covered dish!) and all perishable leftovers in the refrigerator (microorganisms won’t have a chance to multiply).
  1. To cool faster, divide large portions into smaller sections.
• Don’t leave perishable food out for more than two hours (or, if it’s really hot, an hour at most).
• Try to consume leftovers within 4 days.

Thaw thoughtfully with these food safety tips:

• The fridge offers the safest (but slowest) means of thawing.
  1. Meats in particular should always be thawed in the fridge.
• Submerge your food in cold water for quicker thawing; be sure to change the water every half hour, and start cooking immediately when the food has been thawed.
• Microwave thawing is fast but not as safe or healthy for your food; at least, be sure to cook immediately after thawing.

Maintain the right temperature for your food; serve or maintain hot food at or above 140 degrees F, and cold food at or below 40 degrees F.