Food safety tips for every occassion
Use these tips to help keep you and your family safe from food poisoning.
- Cook it: Cook food to the right temperature. This is done by checking food with a food thermometer. Just looking at the color and texture of the food will not indicate that it is safe to eat.
- Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often. Surfaces like cutting boards, counters and utensils as well as hand washing need to be done on a frequent basis
- Chill: Refrigerate food promptly. Keeping food out of the temperature danger zone will help keep food safe from bacteria growth which can harm consumers if eaten.
- Separate: Store different types of foods separately. Think about the foods in your kitchen, fresh fruit and vegetables, raw meats like chicken, fish and beef. Keeping these foods separated can help prevent cross contamination from occurring.
Understanding how you get food poisoning can help to keep you and your family healthy. MSU Extension and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes the following: “You can get food poisoning after swallowing food that has been contaminated with a variety of germs (bacteria, viruses, parasites) or toxic substances (molds, contaminants). After you eat the contaminated food there is a delay before symptoms of food poisoning begin. This delay may range from hours to days, depending on the germ and on how many germs you swallowed.”
The CDC also reports that the “common symptoms of food poisoning include upset stomach, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fever and dehydration. Symptoms may range from mild to severe and may differ depending on the germ that is making you sick. Some consumers may be familiar with bacteria like norovirus, salmonella, or e-coli, but others may not be known to you. Severe cases of food poisoning can cause long-term health problems or death.”
Keep your food safe from bacterial growth and taking the right steps will help to ensure that you and your family do not get sick from food poisoning.