Food Safety

Keeping food safe will decrease the risk of contracting illness, disability and death due to foodborne illness.  According to the CDC, every year, 1 out of 6 Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illness.  

Foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria, virus, parasites, as well as toxins or chemicals that have contaminated food. The most common forms of foodborne illnesses are caused by the bacteria Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli and a group of viruses called calicivirus (Norwalk or Norwalk-like virus). 
Symptoms of a foodborne illness include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea

In order to reduce the risk of getting a foodborne illness don’t eat undercooked or raw meats, including poultry and seafood, don’t drink raw milk or products made from raw milk and always rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

Pregnant women, infants and young children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems should only eat foods with seafood, meat, poultry, or eggs that have been cooked to recommended safe minimum internal temperatures. They should also take special precautions not to consume unpasteurized (raw) juice or milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk, like some soft cheeses.

Pregnant women should reheat deli and luncheon meats and hot dogs to steaming hot to kill Listeria, the bacteria that causes listeriosis, and not eat raw sprouts, which also can carry harmful bacteria.

Infants that are bottle fed are at risk for Salmonella or other bacteria that can grow in a bottle of warm formula left at room temperature for hours.  Bottles should be cleaned and disinfected and left over milk or juice should not be kept in the bottle for hours.

Follow these rules to keep food safe:

Clean your hands with soap and water before handling food. Clean all your surfaces before preparing food on them.

Separate cooked foods from ready-to-eat foods. Don’t use a utensil on cooked food that was previously used on a raw food. Do not place cooked foods on plates that were previously used for raw foods.  

Cook foods to safe internal temperature. 
Hamburger – 160°F
Roasts, steaks and chops   – 165°F
Poultry – 170°F
Pork – 160°F
Hot Dogs/leftovers – 165°F

Chill food promptly after serving. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Learn more about Home Food Safety.