Steps to keeping food safe
Every year millions of people become sick from food poisoning. This may sound scary, but there are simple steps you can take to keep you and your family safe.
Follow these 4 steps to keep food safe to eat.
- Clean: Wash hands, counter tops and cutting boards often.
- Separate: Do not “cross-Contaminate”. Use a separate cutting board for raw meat.
- Cook: Cook to the right temperature and use a food thermometer.
- Chill: Put food away in the refrigerator right away. Do not let food sit out on the counter.
More details about how to keep you and your family safe at Choose MyPlate: 10 Tips: Be Food Safe
Bacteria, virus or fungus can grow on food and make it unsafe to eat. There are some foods grow very quickly on.
Some are listed here:
- Milk and milk products
- Cooked rice or beans
- Raw eggs
- Lemons, sliced melons
- Meat, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish
- Baked or boiled potatoes
Have you or someone you know had food poisoning?
Getting sick from unsafe food is no fun. It might feel like the flu, but it is caused by bacteria in your food.
Symptoms
Look for these symptoms:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Stomach Cramping
People most at risk
These people need to be extra careful to make sure that their food is safe to eat.
- Babies and preschool-age children
- Pregnant women
- Elderly people
- People who are ill
- People taking certain medicine