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

Encyclopedia

• Aflatoxin Medical Encyclopedia
• Cooking utensils and nutrition Medical Encyclopedia
• Genetically engineered foods Medical Encyclopedia
• Preventing food poisoning Medical Encyclopedia

Start Here

• Are You Storing Food Safely? Food and Drug Administration
• Cold Food Storage Chart Department of Health and Human Services
• Food Safety When Preparing Holiday Meals Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Four Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Specifics

• Barbecue Basics: Tips to Prevent Foodborne Illness Food and Drug Administration
• Color of Meat and Poultry Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Cutting Boards and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Egg Products and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Food Delivery Safety Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Food Safety and Raw Milk Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Fruit and Vegetable Safety Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ground Beef and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Handling Flour Safely: What You Need to Know Food and Drug Administration
• How to Grill Safely Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Lettuce, other Leafy Greens, and Food Safety Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Perchlorate Questions and Answers Food and Drug Administration
• Prevent Illness from C. perfringens Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Say No to Raw Dough Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely Food and Drug Administration
• Shelf-Stable Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service

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
• FoodSafety.gov Department of Health and Human Services
• USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service

Related Issues

• Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute
• E. coli and Food Safety Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Eating Out & Bringing In – Food Safety for Moms to Be Food and Drug Administration
• Fires and Food Safety Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Food and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• 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 Emergencies: Power Outages, Floods, and Fires 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
• To Eat or Not to Eat: Decorative Products on Foods Can Be Unsafe Food and Drug Administration

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Food Safety National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• Food safety Medical Encyclopedia

Español/Spanish

• Food Safety at Home Food and Drug Administration

Women

• Food Safety for Moms to Be Food and Drug Administration

Children

• Halloween Food Safety Tips for Parents Food and Drug Administration
• Once Baby Arrives Food and Drug Administration
• People at Risk: Children under Five Department of Health and Human Services

Journal Articles

• Food Safety