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Have you ever had a delicious meal out and then come home later that evening to experience horrible food poisoning? An estimated 1 in 6 Americans will get sick from food poisoning this year alone. Not only is food poisoning an uncomfortable experience, but it can send you to the hospital and, even worse, cause long-term health problems. To keep you and your family safe from food poisoning at home, learn about and discuss proper food handling etiquette.
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Food Poisoning
While the food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world, certain disease-causing bacteria can contaminate food and cause a foodborne illness called “food poisoning.” You can get sick with food poisoning by eating foods with certain parasites, viruses, and bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli. Your symptoms will depend on the germ you consume. The most common food poisoning symptoms include diarrhea, stomach pain or cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Most cases of food poisoning last a few hours to a few days, however, some infections spread by food are serious or even life-threatening. Some people may need to be hospitalized, or their illness can lead to other health problems such as:
● Meningitis
● Kidney damage
● Arthritis
● Brain and nerve damage
Additionally, some people are at a higher risk for contracting food poisoning, such as pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. To keep you and your family safer from food poisoning, learn how to properly clean, separate, cook, and chill your food.
Step 1: Clean
This doesn’t just mean your produce; you’ll want to wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often while preparing food.
Hands:
Wash your hands properly by using plain soap and water to wet, lather, scrub (for at least 20 seconds), rinse, and then dry with a clean towel. You’ll want to wash your hands a lot, especially during key opportunities for germs to spread:
● Before, during, and after preparing food.
● Before eating.
● After handling raw meat, poultry, seafood (and their juices), or uncooked eggs.
● After using the toilet.
● After touching an animal/pet, their food, or their waste.
● After touching the garbage.
● After changing diapers or cleaning up a child.
● After interacting with a sick loved one.
● Before and after treating a cut or wound.
● After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Surfaces and Utensils:
Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water, especially after raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs have touched their surfaces. If you’re using dish clothes instead of paper towels to wipe down your surfaces, wash these clothes often in a hot cycle.
The USDA recommends using one cutting board for fresh produce/bread and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wooden and plastic cutting boards can be sanitized with 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Flood your surface with this bleach solution and allow it to stand for several minutes before rinsing with water and drying.
Whether you use hardwood, bamboo, or plastic cutting boards, all boards wear out over time. Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop deep (and hard to clean) grooves, you should replace them.
The question remains: Which cutting board should you use– wooden or plastic? For a long time, all cutting boards were made of wood, but then plastic cutting boards were introduced. These were seemingly easier to clean, and some could even go in the dishwasher.
Wooden cutting boards are just as safe, if not safer than plastic ones. Wood is naturally antimicrobial, whereas plastic cutting boards have a lot of crevices from cutting that offer plenty of places for bacteria to hide and grow. While there are still a lot of notches with wood, they are deeper, meaning the bacteria fall in and eventually die. The bacteria doesn’t come into contact with food as easily as on a plastic cutting board.
Fruits and Vegetables:
Properly wash your fruits and vegetables, but not meat, poultry, or eggs, to avoid spreading harmful germs around your kitchen. Here’s when and how to rinse fruits and vegetables:
● Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without soap or produce washes. (The USDA warns against washing produce with detergent, soap, or commercial wash because produce is porous, and the cleanser may not rinse off fully. They are not approved or labeled by the Food and Drug Administration for use on foods.)
● Before peeling, removing skin, or cutting into.
● Use a clean produce brush to scrub firm produce like watermelon, cantaloupe, or cucumber.
● Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth towel.
Step 2: Separate
Cutting boards, serving platters, and plates:
Use one cutting board for fresh produce or foods that won’t need to be cooked, and another for raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Use separate serving platters, plates, and utensils for cooked and raw foods. If you’re bringing raw hamburger meat to the grill, clean this platter or use a new one when placing the cooked burgers back onto the platter. Use hot, soapy water to thoroughly wash all dishes and cookware that touches raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or flour.
Certain foods
Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods in separate bags when checking out at the grocery store. Once home, place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in sealed containers or leak-proof plastic bags. Freeze these foods if you are not cooking them within a few days. Keep US commercial eggs in the fridge in their original containers.
Step 3: Cook
Food is safely cooked to the right temperature when its internal temperature is high enough to kill germs that can make you sick. Refer to the USDA’s Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart to ensure your foods have reached safe temperatures. When you think your food is done, place a food thermometer in the thickest part of the food without touching bone, fat, or gristle.
If you’re not serving food right after cooking, keep it hot at 140°F (60°C) or above. You want to keep it out of the temperature danger zone (between 40°F (4°C) – 140°F (60°C)) where germs quickly grow from a heat source like a chafing dish, warming tray, or slow cooker.
One common mistake at outdoor gatherings, especially in warmer climates like Texas, is leaving foods such as potato salad or coleslaw (which often contain dairy or mayonnaise) out in the heat for too long. While these dishes may still feel cool to the touch, particularly when you’re overheated, the internal temperature can quickly rise to unsafe levels.
To avoid foodborne illness, it’s important to follow time and temperature guidelines. Perishable items should not be left out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F). After that, bacteria can multiply rapidly, increasing the risk of contamination. Always keep foods chilled in a cooler with ice packs and return them to the refrigerator as soon as possible to maintain safety.
When microwaving foods, read and follow the package directions to make sure food is thoroughly cooked (165°F (74°C) or above). Some instructions say to let the microwaved food sit for a few minutes to allow the food to cook thoroughly; colder areas will absorb heat from hotter areas. Additionally, some instructions may ask you to stir food halfway through the heating.
Step 4: Chill
Refrigerate foods within two hours as cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Keep your refrigerator temperature at 40°F or below to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Your freezer temperature should be at 0°F or below. Additionally:
● Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, and other perishables when you get home from the store.
● Never keep raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food, or cut fresh fruits and vegetables out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours.
● Never thaw food at room temperature. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
● Marinate your food in the refrigerator.
● Place leftovers in shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
● Regularly go through your refrigerator and discard old leftovers/food products. Cooked foods normally last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
● For additional guidelines, follow these suggested guidelines for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer.
Bottom Line
Food safety is essential to protecting your health and well-being. Proper food handling, cooking, and storage can significantly reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. If you think you or a family member has food poisoning, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Simple steps like washing your hands, cooking foods to the right temperature, and storing perishables properly make a big difference. Whether you’re at home or dining out, being mindful of food safety practices helps ensure you and your loved ones stay healthy.
