To keep food safe in your home, follow the steps restaurant professionals use:

Ingredient #1 Clean:
Wash hands & surfaces often

? Wash hands with hot soapy water before handling food and always after handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

? Avoid handling food when ill, or if you have cuts or sores on your hands.

? Wash cutting boards and knives with soap and hot water before and after preparing raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

Ingredient #2 Separate:
Don't cross-contaminate

? Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

? Use separate cutting boards-one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood and another for all other foods. Wash cutting boards after each use.

? Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

Ingredient #3 Cook:
Cook to proper temperatures

? Cook food to the proper internal temperature; check for doneness with a clean food thermometer.

? To keep bacteria from growing, do not allow food to be in the danger zone - between 40° and 140°(room temperature) - for longer than 2 hours.

? When microwave cooking, cover the food, stir and rotate. When finished, let stand for 2 minutes to distribute the heat, then stir again.

Ingredient #4 Chill:
Refrigerate promptly

? Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within 2 hours.

? Never defrost (or marinate) food on the kitchen counter. Use the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave method.

True/False Test
1. You should refrigerate or freeze perishable foods within 6 hours after bringing them home.

2. Avoid handling and preparing food when you are sick. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water frequently.

3. Proper cleaning of all surfaces that touch raw foods can help prevent transferring bacteria.

4. The safest place in the refrigerator to store raw meats, poultry, and seafood is on the bottom shelf.

5. The safest place to thaw frozen foods is on the kitchen counter.

6. Test for food doneness with a thermometer.

7. Leftover food will be safe if it is reheated to 150° F.

8. It is important to wash cutting boards and knives with hot soapy water.

Key:
1. False - within 2 hours.
2. True.
3. True.
4. True.
5. False - thaw in the refrigerator, microwave or under running water.
6. True.
7. False - reheat to 165 degrees and stir frequently.
8. True