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Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are essential to prevent foodborne
illness. You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness. In every
step of food preparation, follow the four Fight BAC!™ guidelines to keep food safe:
- Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate - Don't cross-contaminate.
- Cook - Cook to proper temperatures.
- Chill - Refrigerate promptly.
Shopping
Purchase refrigerated or frozen items after selecting your non-perishables. Never choose
meat or poultry in packaging that is torn or leaking. Do not buy food past "Sell-By,"
"Use-By," or other expiration dates.
Storage
Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above
90°F). Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance
thermometer. The refrigerator should be at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or
below. Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within 2 days;
other beef, veal, lamb, or pork, within 3 to 5 days.
Perishable food such as meat and poultry should be wrapped securely to maintain quality
and to prevent meat juices from getting onto other food. To maintain quality when
freezing meat and poultry in its original package, wrap the package again with foil or
plastic wrap that is recommended for the freezer.
In general, high-acid canned food such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and pineapple can be
stored on the shelf for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid canned food such as meat, poultry, fish,
and most vegetables will keep 2 to 5 years - if the can remains in good condition and has
been stored in a cool, clean, and dry place. Discard cans that are dented, leaking,
bulging, or rusted.
Preparation
Always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling
food. Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from
other food. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, utensils, and countertops with
hot, soapy water. Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops can be sanitized by using a
solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Thawing
Refrigerator:
The refrigerator allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing meat and poultry juices do
not drip onto other food.
Cold Water:
For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag. Submerge in cold tap water.
Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook immediately after thawing.
Microwave:
Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.
Cooking
Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145°F. All cuts of
pork, 160°F. Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160°F. All poultry should reach a
safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
Serving
Hot food should be held at 140°F or warmer. Cold food should be held at 40°F or
colder. When serving food at a buffet, keep food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers,
and warming trays. Keep food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving
trays and replace them often. Perishable food should not be left out more than 2 hours at
room temperature (1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F).
Leftovers
Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the
temperature was above 90°F). Place food into shallow containers and immediately put in
the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling. Use cooked leftovers within 4 days.
Refreezing
Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If
thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.
Cold Storage Chart
These short, but safe, time limits will help keep refrigerated food from spoiling or
becoming dangerous to eat. Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended
storage times are for quality only.
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