Fight BAC!

Published: March 17, 2008

Here are four steps to Fight BAC! for food safety:

•Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.

Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and onto cutting boards, utensils, sponges and countertops.

Wash your hands with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the restroom, changing diapers and handling pets.

Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.

Use plastic or other nonporous cutting boards. These boards should be run through the dishwasher or washed in hot, soapy water after use.

Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle.

•Separate: Don't cross-contaminate.

Cross-contamination is the scientific word for how bacteria can be spread from one food product to another. This is especially true when handling raw meat, poultry and seafood, so keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.

If possible, use a different cutting board for raw meat products.

Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.

•Cook: Cook to proper temperatures.

Food safety experts say foods are properly cooked when they are heated long enough and to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses.

Use a clean thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked foods, to ensure meat, poultry, casseroles and other foods are cooked through.

Cook roasts and steaks to at least 145 degrees F. Whole poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees F for doneness.

Cook ground beef, where bacteria can spread during processing, to at least 160 degrees F. Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links eating undercooked, pink ground beef with a higher risk of illness. If a thermometer is not available, do not eat ground beef that is pink inside.

Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Don't use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked. Fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.

When cooking in a microwave oven, make sure there are no cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. For best results, cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking.

Bring sauces, soups and gravies to a boil when reheating.

•Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Set your refrigerator no higher than 40 degrees F and the freezer unit at 0 degrees F.

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours.

Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, under cold running water or in the microwave. Marinate in the refrigerator.

Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator. Don't pack the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.

www.FoodSafety.gov

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