Each year more than eight million Americans suffer from food borne illness. The very young, the very old and the infirmed are at greatest risk. It’s estimated that 85% of the cases could be avoided if people handled food safely. USDA promotes these Four Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Chill and Cook.

uThink clean! Do you know the most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick? It only takes 20 seconds, almost everyone can do it and it’s not expensive….wash your hands! While washing away, sing the "Happy Birthday" song to yourself twice.

Teach all family members to wash their hands with hot, soapy water before fixing or eating foods, after handling pets, going to the bathroom, combing your hair, coughing or blowing your nose. Clean hands and cooking utensils and surfaces are your first defense against the bacteria! Wipe down counter surfaces with a solution of household bleach water: 1 teaspoon bleach added to a quart spray bottle of water works well.

uDivide and Conquer!
Don’t cross-contaminate. In your refrigerator, place fresh meats on trays to keep meat juices away from produce and other food. Use separate cutting boards for meats and fresh vege-tables. Divide leftovers into small, shallow containers for rapid cooling.

uChill Out! Don’t Delay, Cool It! Refrigerate perishables and leftovers within two hours of purchase or preparation. When on a picnic and the air temperature is 90˚ F or more, foods should be left out no more than one hour. At room temperature, bacteria in food can double every 20 minutes! Don’t overfill your refrigerator, cool air must circulate to help keep food safe. Use a thermometer to be sure your refrigerator maintains a temperature below 40˚ F. Thaw meats, fish, and poultry in the refrigerator or the microwave. Never defrost on the kitchen counter. Cook food immediately after thawing in the microwave.

uCook It Right…and Keep It Hot! Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. Use a food thermometer to determine the internal temperature of cooked food, meats and poultry. Ground meats should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160˚ F. Use a thermometer to check hamburgers. One out of every four burgers will turn brown before it’s done. Undercooked hamburgers have been linked to serious illness from
E. coli bacteria.

uMicrowave Musts!  When cooking or reheating in a microwave, make sure there are no cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. Cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking. Use a thermometer to be certain leftovers are reheated to at least 165˚ F. Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil when reheating.