The following are some simple food safety tips to reduce the risk of food poisoning in your home:
Clean
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before handling food or eating, and after handling raw meats, using the toilet, touching pets/animals and changing diapers.
- Wash counters, utensils, cutting boards, and other surfaces after they come into contact with raw meat.
- Wash all produce thoroughly with tap water before cooking or eating.
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Chill
- Chill all leftovers within two hours or less, to keep them out of room temperature. Click here for more information on storing leftovers.
- Refrigerate all perishable foods at 4°C (40°F) or less, to prevent the growth of bacteria.
- Thaw frozen foods in a refrigerator, cold water, or a microwave oven, not at room temperature. If you use the microwave to thaw, cook the food immediately.
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Cook
- Cook food thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria that may be present in or on the food. This is very important for poultry and ground beef.
- Keep all hot foods at 60°C (140°F) or more, to prevent the growth of bacteria.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to check cooking and storage temperatures. Click here for information on cooking temperatures.
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Separate
- Use separate cutting boards for raw meats and raw vegetables and fruits.
- Store packaged raw meats on a plate and below ready-to-eat foods, on lower refrigerator shelves, to prevent contamination caused by dripping.
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For more information, visit Canada.ca/foodsafety
