Preparing a meal for friends and family is a good way to make new memories. Unfortunately, far too often, people end up sharing a foodborne illness due to food safety issues. Here are some tips for good food safety:
• Clean all countertops before starting any food preparation; sanitize them after any preparation involving raw meat, or better yet, after all food preparation.
• Prepare salads at a separate time from working with raw meat.
• Be sure to wash, rinse and sanitize any surfaces or utensils that raw meat comes in contact with.
• Any food that won’t be eaten within two hours of cooking should be stored in the refrigerator and reheated later.
• Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Use a thermometer when cooking meats. Even the best cooks can’t tell when something is done just by looking at it.
• Put food in the refrigerator after the meal.
• Use small or shallow containers when refrigerating or freezing leftovers so that they will cool quickly. Many leftovers will keep five to seven days in the refrigerator. Raw food usually lasts three days in the refrigerator.
