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Summary
Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage can prevent foodborne illness. There are four basic steps to food safety at home:
- Clean - always wash your fruits and vegetables, hands, counters, and cooking utensils.
- Separate - keep raw foods to themselves. Germs can spread from one food to another.
- Cook - foods need to get hot and stay hot. Heat kills germs.
- Chill - put fresh food in the refrigerator right away.
In the grocery store, avoid cans that are bulging or jars that have cracks or loose lids. Check packages to be sure food hasn't reached its expiration date.
United States Department of Agriculture
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4 Basic Steps to Food Safety at Home
(Food and Drug Administration)
- PDF
- Are You Storing Food Safely? (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Basics for Handling Food Safely (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Be Food Safe: Protect Yourself from Food Poisoning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Food Safety (Nemours Foundation)
Latest News
- Keep Your Summer Cookouts Safe (07/09/2017, HealthDay)
- Avoid a Nasty Surprise from The Barbecue Grill (06/25/2017, HealthDay)
- Cooking Out? Don't Forget Your Food Thermometer (06/17/2017, HealthDay)
Prevention and Risk Factors
-
Food Safety for Warmer Weather
(National Institutes of Health)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- 5 Tips for Using Your Microwave Oven Safely (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Animal Cloning and Food Safety (Food and Drug Administration)
-
Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
- Fires and Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Freezing and Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- High Altitude Cooking and Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- How Safe Are Color Additives? (Food and Drug Administration)
- Keep Food and Water Safe After a Disaster or Power Outage (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Keeping Food Safe during an Emergency (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) Also in Spanish
- Kitchen Thermometers (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) Also in Spanish
- Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts (Food and Drug Administration)
- Refrigeration and Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) Also in Spanish
- Safe Eats - Eating Out and Bringing In (Food and Drug Administration)
Specifics
-
Barbecue Basics: Tips to Prevent Foodborne Illness
(Food and Drug Administration)
- Color of Meat and Poultry (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Food Safety and Raw Milk (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving It Safely (Food and Drug Administration)
- Ground Beef and Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) Also in Spanish
- Perchlorate Questions and Answers (Food and Drug Administration)
- Questions and Answers: Apple Juice and Arsenic (Food and Drug Administration)
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Shelf-Stable Food Safety (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Tips to Prevent Illness from Clostridium Perfringens (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Games
- Food Detectives: Fight Bac (Partnership for Food Safety Education) Also in Spanish
- Food Safety Mobile Game (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Statistics and Research
- CDC Vital Signs: Making Food Safer to Eat (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
- Food and Drug Administration
- Food and Nutrition Information Center
- USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Children
- Food Safety (Department of Agriculture)
- Food Safety and Nutrition Information for Kids and Teens (Food and Drug Administration)
- Food Safety for Your Family (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Once Baby Arrives (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- The 5-Second Rule (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- 5-Second Rule (Nemours Foundation)
Women
- Food Safety for Moms-to-Be (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Seniors
-
Food Safety When Cooking
(National Institute on Aging)
- PDF
Patient Handouts
-
4 Basic Steps to Food Safety at Home
(Food and Drug Administration)
- PDF
- Food safety (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish