Food Safety

When you shop:

• Have raw meat, poultry and seafood placed in separate bags. Keep them at the bottom of your cart, so juices don’t drip onto other foods.
• Keep cold items together in your basket.
• Pick up perishables last and go directly to the checkout.
• Make the grocery store your final errand stop.
• Once home, chill appropriate foods immediately.

• Wash your hands often—especially after handling raw meat and eggs—and with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds. (Sing the alphabet or 2 choruses of “Happy Birthday” instead of counting out the 20 seconds!) Replace worn cutting boards.
• Wash fresh fruits and veggies under cold water.
• Wash your hands after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or playing with pets.

• Keep uncooked (raw) foods separate from foods that will be cooked and from ready to eat foods. Store raw meat, poultry, fish and shellfish in containers or well-sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator so that the juices don’t drip on other foods.
• Have two cutting boards: one for ready-to-eat foods, one for raw meat, poultry and fish.

• Uncooked or undercooked animal foods are potentially unsafe. Cook animal foods to proper temperatures. Keep food out of the “danger zone”—that’s 40 to 140°F.
  
  - Hot food should be above 140°F.
  - Cold foods should be maintained below 40°F.
  - Leftovers need to be reheated to 165°F.
  

• Refrigerate (below 40°F) or Freeze (below 0°F) promptly.
• Discard food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or after 1 hour in hot weather.
• Place leftovers in shallow containers to cool in the refrigerator. Refrigerate or freeze properly-protected foods promptly. Make sure to allow cold air circulation between items.

What to do if the power fails?

DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. Don’t even peek! Food will stay frozen 2 days if the freezer is full or 1 day if half full. If food has started to thaw, refreeze only items that still have ice crystals.