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Click here for PDF of Safe Food Handling at Home pamphlet
Click here for PDF of Cold Storage Guide
Food poisoning can and does frequently occur when food is prepared at home. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe and painful illness. In rare cases, food poisoning can be fatal.
To reduce the risk of food poisoning at home, follow
these 7 suggestions:
- Make grocery shopping the last stop before home. Place refrigerated and frozen foods in the cart last. Place these foods in your refrigerator within one hour. If this cannot be done within the hour, place them in a cooler with ice packs.
- Keep the refrigerator temperature below 4 degrees C/40 degrees F. Keep a thermometer inside the refrigerator and check it regularly.
- Thaw frozen meats in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. Prevent raw meat juices from contaminating other foods in the refrigerator by placing them in containers on the lowest shelf.
- Never place cooked meats on the same plate that previously held raw meats. Wash utensils that have touched raw meats with hot soapy water before reusing them for cooked meats.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling food, especially raw meats. Handwashing removes many of the germs that cause food poisoning.
- Put leftovers into the refrigerator within one hour of serving. Use shallow
containers to help cool leftovers quickly. Reheat leftovers rapidly. Heating
leftovers slowly allows harmful bacteria to multiply quickly.
- Use a mixture of 28 mL (one ounce) of bleach to 4.5L (one gallon) of water to clean dish cloths, counter surfaces and cutting boards, particularly after they have been in contact with raw poultry and other meats.
Never taste food you are unsure of.
When in doubt - throw it out!
Remember to label and date foods before placing them
in the refrigerator or freezer.
For more information contact:
Safe Communities - Public Health Services
#101 - 310 Idylwyld Drive North
Saskatoon SK S7L 0Z2
Phone: (306) 655-4605
(updated January 30, 2009)
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