While these recommendations aren’t meant to replace a food safety course, here are a few tips that will cut your risk of contracting illness caused by improper food preparation and storage.
1. Clean
Wash hands and surfaces often.
2. Separate
Don’t cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat and its juices away from other food.
3. Cook
Know your internal temps! Make sure you’re cooking your food all the way before serving.
| At least 145° | Beef, pork, veal and lamb (not ground), fish and shellfish, fresh or smoked ham |
| At least 160° | Beef, pork, veal and lamb (ground), eggs |
| At least 165° | Chicken and turkey, leftovers, cooked ham |
4. Chill
Refridgerate perishable food promptly (within two hours; one in warm weather).
Getting creative with leftovers is an easy way to reduce food waste and save money. Not only do you get to flex your creative culinary muscles, but you can also make your food stretch a little longer. However, it’s important they don’t sit in the fridge for too long. Here are a few things to keep in mind when reusing food safely.
- Get rid of any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour on a warm day).
- Store food in shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.
- Use most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Finally, see our section on best-by and sell-by Dates in the Understanding Food Labels section.
