Food Safety Summary Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage can prevent foodborne illness. There are four basic steps to food safety at home: Clean – always wash your fruits and vegetables, hands, counters, and cooking utensils. Separate – keep raw foods to themselves. Germs can spread from one food to another. Cook – foods need to get hot and stay hot. Heat kills germs. Chill – put fresh food in the refrigerator right away. In the grocery store, avoid cans that are bulging or jars that have cracks or loose lids. Check packages to be sure food hasn’t reached its expiration date. United States Department of Agriculture Array 4 Basic Steps to Food Safety at Home Food and Drug Administration Food safety Teenagers 5-Second Rule Nemours Foundation Encyclopedia Aflatoxin Cooking utensils and nutrition Genetically engineered foods Preventing food poisoning Related Issues Animal Cloning and Food Safety Food and Drug Administration Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute Fires and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Freezing and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service High Altitude Cooking and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service How Safe Are Color Additives? Food and Drug Administration Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Power Outage Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Keeping Food Safe during an Emergency Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Kitchen Thermometers Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts Food and Drug Administration Refrigeration and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Safe Eats – Eating Out and Bringing In Food and Drug Administration Start Here Are You Storing Food Safely? Food and Drug Administration Basics for Handling Food Safely Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Be Food Safe: Protect Yourself from Food Poisoning Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Food Safety Nemours Foundation Statistics and Research CDC Vital Signs: Making Food Safer to Eat Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Find an Expert Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Food and Drug Administration Food and Drug Administration Food and Nutrition Information Center Food and Nutrition Information Center USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Food Safety National Institutes of Health Specifics Color of Meat and Poultry Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Food Safety and Raw Milk Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving It Safely Food and Drug Administration Game from Farm to Table Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Ground Beef and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Perchlorate Questions and Answers Food and Drug Administration Questions and Answers: Apple Juice and Arsenic Food and Drug Administration Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Shelf-Stable Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Tips to Prevent Illness from Clostridium Perfringens Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Games Food Detectives: Fight Bac Partnership for Food Safety Education Food Safety Mobile Game Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Children Food Safety Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Nutrition Information for Kids and Teens Food and Drug Administration Food Safety for Your Family Nemours Foundation Once Baby Arrives Food and Drug Administration The 5-Second Rule Nemours Foundation Women Food Safety for Moms-to-Be Food and Drug Administration Seniors Food Safety for Seniors Food and Drug Administration Food Safety When Cooking National Institute on Aging Prevention and Risk Factors Food Safety for Warmer Weather National Institutes of Health NIH MedlinePlus Magazine For Seniors, Eat with Caution HealthLines: 7 Steps to Food Safety Talking Turkey… Journal Articles Food Safety Latest News Genetically Modified Crops Are Safe: Review HealthDay Could Fast Food Expose People to Harmful Chemicals? HealthDay New Labeling Offers More Protection for Meat Lovers HealthDay To Avoid Food Poisoning, There’s an App for That HealthDay ‘Listeria on Rye’? Many U.S. Deli Meat Slicers Cut Corners on Cleanliness HealthDay