Food Safety

When you are working with food it is important to practice safe habits so you can avoid disease and food borne illness. Use the following tips to ensure that your food has been stored and prepared properly.

• Wash your hands thoroughly before handing food and after working with raw meat, eggs, or fish.
• Separate raw meats from other food when shopping, storing, and preparing food.
• Keep meats on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so the juices will not drip onto food.
• Refrigerate properly. (40ºF or below)
• Wash cutting boards and utensils thoroughly when preparing food to avoid contamination.
• Never place cooked food on a plate or cutting board that was previously used for raw meat.
• Refrigerate or freeze food right after eating to avoid the growth of bacteria.
• Defrost foods in refrigerator, never at room temperature.

Following these guidelines will help ensure that you are able to enjoy your food and avoid disease. Don’t forget to look at individual food guidelines if you have questions about safe food handling.