Stay Healthy with Food Safety

1. Stay Healthy with Food Safety The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service

2. Causes of food-borne illness • Bacteria • Leading cause • Viruses • Parasites • Fungi

3. Who is at risk for food-borne illness? • EVERYONE is potentially at risk for food-borne illness, but the following groups are at higher risk than others: • Children • Pregnant women • Seniors • Individuals with compromised immune systems • Medications that weaken natural immunity

4. Four steps to food safety • Cleanliness • Food separation • Proper cooking • Chill

5. Cleanliness • Personal hygiene • Wash hands with hot, soapy water • Cleaning and sanitizing kitchen surfaces and utensils • Use hot, soapy water after preparing each food item

6. Food separation • Raw meat, seafood, and poultry separated from other foods during shopping and storage • Different cutting boards for raw meat, seafood, poultry and other foods

7. Proper cooking • Food thermometer • Types • Dial-face • Digital instant read • Correct use • Insertion in thickest part of food • Reading taken after 15 second wait once temperature stops changing • Periodic accuracy check in cold water • Proper cooking temperatures for different foods

8. Chill • Proper temperature setting of appliances • Refrigerator: 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit • Freezer: no higher than 0 degrees Fahrenheit • Cooled to under 40 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours • Divide large amounts of food into smaller portions

9. Chill • Safe defrosting of frozen foods • Defrost foods in refrigerator, not on counter top • Under cold, running water • Microwave, if cooked immediately • No room temperature defrosting

10. TAKE HOME MESSAGE • The highest rates of food-borne illness occur at home! • Keep food nutritious and safe to eat by following the Four Steps to Food Safety: • Clean! (hands and equipment) • Separate! (raw foods especially) • Cook! (use a thermometer to assure safety) • Chill! (check refrigerator and freezer temperatures)