What describes the four simple steps to food safety

Índice Show

Use the right materials for the job
Do things right:
Cross contamination
Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures
Report a Problem

Four simple rules that will help you to stay safe from food-borne illnesses in the kitchen:

Cleaning
Cooking
Cross contamination
Chilling
Contact

Cleaning

Clean kitchen surfaces after preparing foods; try to 'clean as you go'.
After handling raw meat, poultry, fish and other raw foods always wash hands, utensils and surfaces thoroughly and before any contact with other food, especially cooked and ready-to-eat foods.

Use the right materials for the job

Detergents such as washing up liquids are designed to dissolve grease, oil and dirt.
Disinfectants, such as bleach, are designed to kill germs. These are powerful agents and should not be used indiscriminately. Anti-bacterial cleaners are types of disinfectant and can kill germs - they often come in spray form.
Disinfectants and anti-bacterial cleaners won't work if you don't use them properly, so always follow the instructions.

Do things right:

Use separate buckets and cloths for cleaning floors.
Give your kitchen a thorough 'spring clean' periodically.
Always clean surfaces first with detergent to remove any grease or dirt, then apply disinfectant to kill any remaining germs.
Use separate cloths or sponges for separate tasks; where practicable use disposable cloths. If using them more than once, wash in hot water and soap then place in a suitable disinfectant, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. Do not soak overnight as disinfectant solutions weaken and may allow bacteria to grow.

Cooking

Follow recipes and label instructions on cooking times and temperatures. Remember to pre-heat the oven properly.
Check food is piping hot before serving. Double check that sausages, burgers, pork and poultry are cooked right through; they should not be 'rare' or pink in the middle and when pierced with a knife any juices that run out of the meat should be clear, not bloody. Don't cook foods too far in advance. Once cooked, keep foods covered and piping hot (above 63°C) until it's time to eat them. When using the microwave stir foods and drinks and allow them to stand for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots.

Cross contamination

Food poisoning is often caused when harmful bacteria on one food are spread via hands or kitchen utensils to cross-contaminate other foods. Good hygiene helps prevent this.
Keep raw foods separate from cooked and ready-to-eat food at all times. In particular keep raw meat, fish, poultry and other raw foods away from ready-to-eat foods such as salads, bread and sandwiches. Never put cooked food on a plate which has previously held raw foods until it has been thoroughly washed.
Ideally use separate chopping boards for raw and cooked foods.
Wash hands after handling raw foods and before touching other foods and utensils.

Chilling

Do not put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool sufficiently first; but remember that cooling should be completed within one or two hours after cooking.
To speed cooling divide foods into smaller portions, place in a wide dish and stand this in a shallow tray of cold water.

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The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world. However, when certain disease-causing bacteria or pathogens contaminate food, they can cause foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” The Federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year. And each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Symptoms of foodborne illness can include: vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain – and flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache.

Handle Foods Safely

Although most healthy people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems. In addition, some people are at a higher risk for developing foodborne illness, including pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or diabetes). To keep your family safer from food poisoning, follow these four simple steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

CLEAN

Wash hands and surfaces often

Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.
Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, launder them often in the hot cycle.
Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush.
With canned goods, remember to clean lids before opening.

SEPARATE

Separate raw meats from other foods

Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping 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 plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.
Don’t reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.

COOK

Cook to the right temperature

Color and texture are unreliable indicators of safety. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products for all cooking methods. These foods must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria.
Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Only use recipes in which eggs are cooked or heated thoroughly.
When cooking in a microwave oven, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking. Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer.
Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating.

CHILL

Refrigerate foods promptly

Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40° F or below and the freezer temperature is 0° F or below.
Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing. Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90° F.
Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the counter top. 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.
Always marinate food in the refrigerator.
Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.

Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

as measured with a food thermometer

Food Type	Internal temperature
Beef, Pork, Veal, and Lamb (chops, roasts, steaks)	145oF with a 3 minute rest time
Ground Meat	160oF
Ham, uncooked (fresh or smoked)	145oF with a 3 minute rest time
Ham, fully cooked (to reheat)	140oF
Poultry (ground, parts, whole, and stuffing)	165oF
Eggs	Cook until yolk & white are firm
Egg Dishes	160oF
Fin Fish	145oF or flesh is opaque & separates easily with fork
Shrimp, Lobster, and Crabs	Flesh pearly & opaque
Clams, Oysters, and Mussels	Shells open during cooking
Scallops	Flesh is milky white or opaque and firm
Leftovers and Casseroles	165oF

Safe Cooking Temperatures (PDF: 718KB)

Report a Problem

If you think that you or a family member has a foodborne illness, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Also, report the suspected foodborne illness to FDA in either of these ways: