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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.

Click here for PDF of Safe Food Handling at Home pamphlet
Click here for PDF of Cold Storage Guide

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 food 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.  Hand washing removes many of the germs that cause food poisoning.
• Put leftovers into the refrigerator within one hour of serving.  Use shallow containers to help cook leftovers quickly.  Reheat leftovers rapidly.  Heating leftovers slowly allows harmful bacteria to multiply quickly.
• Use a mixture of 28 mL (one ounce) of bleach 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:

Environmental Public Health Department
Population and Public Health
#101-310 Idylwyld Drive North
Saskatoon SK  S7L 0Z2
Phone:  306-655-4605