The core four practices for food safety.

Follow these food safety tips to fight bacteria and reduce your risk of foodborne illness.

Clean.

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Clean your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops after preparing each food item.
• Use paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If using cloth towels, wash them often.
• Wash fruits and vegetables under running water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. For firm-skinned produce, rub or scrub with a vegetable brush while rinsing.

Separate.

• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Never place cooked food on a surface that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.

Cook.

• Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat, poultry, and egg dishes.
• Cook roasts and steaks to a minimum of 145°F.
• Cook poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.
• Cook ground meat to at least 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your burgers.
• Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm, not runny. Don’t use recipes in which the eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
• Cook fish to 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
• Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165°F.

Chill.

• Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, and other perishables as soon as you get home from the grocery store.
• Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food, or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Never defrost food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for faster cooling in the refrigerator.

Source.

The Core Four Practices. Partnership for Food Safety Education. Accessed March 26, 2024.