Food Safety at Home: Top Tips for a Healthy Kitchen
September 27, 2023
An increasing number of people are beginning to switch over to home cooking. Not only does it save money, but it gives people more control over their diet. Families are able to keep track of what they are eating and know exactly what goes into their meals. But the CDC estimates 48 million people get sick from foodborne diseases each year in the United States. With more people cooking at home, it is important to know these food safety tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a healthy home kitchen.
Hygiene
Hand washing is the most important preventive measure to avoid spreading germs and illness. This goes for the kitchen as well. Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Be sure to wash your hands after touching raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
Cleanliness
Wash your cutting boards, cutlery, utensils, appliances, and anything else you use in the kitchen thoroughly between uses. This prevents the spread of germs. Rinse fruits and veggies well with hot water. Do not wash meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. But make sure to wash your hands and utensils that you used to handle the meat, poultry, fish, or eggs before handling other food or utensils.
It is also good practice to clean the lids on canned goods before opening. When you open the lids, they typically touch the food inside. They can collect dust or germs by sitting in the grocery store. After you are done with the kitchen, wipe down countertops with hot soapy water to ensure no germs are left behind to spread.
Cooking
Heat kills germs, so be sure to cook your meat, poultry, fish, or eggs to the proper temperature. These are “cook to safe” temperatures:
- Beef, pork, lamb - 145°F
- Fish - 145°F
- Ground meats (beef, pork, lamb) - 160 °F
- Turkey, chicken, duck - 165°F
Keep food out of the temperature "Danger Zone,” which is 40°F - 140°F, to prevent health risks. Using a food thermometer is the best way to ensure that the food is properly cooked. Consuming raw foods can cause food poisoning.
Remember the jingle "Keep Hot Foods Hot and Cold Foods Cold" especially with the holidays coming up.
Refrigerating and Thawing
The rule of thumb is to put food in the refrigerator or freezer within 2 hours after buying or cooking. If the food has been sitting out in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees (such as when being carried home from the store or outdoors at a party), reduce this time to 1 hour. Discard any perishable food that is left out longer than this. Ensure that food is packed and contained properly to avoid leaking.
Thawing food by simply leaving it out of the freezer seems easy, but it is not the safest way to thaw. Better ways include thawing in the refrigerator, running it under cold water, or thawing in the microwave. Thawing food on the countertop can cause uneven temperatures in the food.
You can also refrigerate large portions of soups, stews and other dishes in smaller containers. This ensures a quicker and proper cooling process within the recommended time frame.
Separation
Raw foods should be kept away from ready-to-eat foods. If they are not, contact can cause cross-contamination, spreading germs. Use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils for raw foods and ready-to-eat foods to prevent the spread of germs. In addition to keeping utensils separate for separate uses, you may find it beneficial to differentiate meat and vegetable cutting boards with color - meat on red and vegetables on green, for example.
You can also organize the refrigerator with fresh or ready-to-eat foods on top and raw foods on the bottom, with chicken below beef, pork and fish. This helps to keep food separated.
Food safety is important for cooking. Be sure to stay updated on practices and recalls to ensure that you are eating the healthiest foods for you.