[ The following is something that was sent to me by a colleague who teaches this subject at a major culinary institute. We all need to now this & practice it..! ]
Food Handling Basic Safety
Many people do not think about food safety until a food-related illness affects them or a family member. While the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, CDC estimates that 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans die each year from foodborne illness. Preventing foodborne illness and death remains a major public health challenge.
Basics for Handling Food Safely
Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are essential to prevent foodborne illness. You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness. In every step of food preparation, follow the four Fight BAC!T guidelines to keep food safe:
Clean - Wash hands and surfaces often.
Separate - Don't cross-contaminate.
Cook - Cook to proper temperatures.
Chill - Refrigerate promptly.
Shopping
Purchase refrigerated or frozen items after selecting your non-perishables.
Never choose meat or poultry in packaging that is torn or leaking.
Do not buy food past "Sell-By," "Use-By," or other expiration dates.
Storage
Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).
Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer. The refrigerator should be at 40 °F or below and the freezer at 0 °F or below.
Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within 2 days; other beef, veal, lamb, or pork, within 3 to 5 days.
Perishable food such as meat and poultry should be wrapped securely to maintain quality and to prevent meat juices from getting onto other food.
To maintain quality when freezing meat and poultry in its original package, wrap the package again with foil or plastic wrap that is recommended for the freezer.
In general, high-acid canned food such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and pineapple can be stored on the shelf for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid canned food such as meat, poultry, fish, and most vegetables will keep 2 to 5 years - if the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, clean, and dry place. Discard cans that are dented, leaking, bulging, or rusted.
Preparation
Always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
Do not cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water.
Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops can be sanitized by using a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Thawing
Refrigerator: The refrigerator allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure
thawing meat and poultry juices do not drip onto other food.
Cold Water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag. Submerge in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes.
Cook immediately after thawing.
Microwave
Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.
Cooking
Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 °F.
All cuts of pork, 160 °F.
Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 °F.
All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
Serving
Hot food should be held at 140 °F or warmer.
Cold food should be held at 40 °F or colder.
When serving food at a buffet, keep food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Keep food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often.
Perishable food should not be left out more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).
Leftovers
Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature was above 90 °F).
Place food into shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.
Use cooked leftovers within 4 days.
Refreezing
Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.
Cold Storage Chart
These short, but safe, time limits will help keep refrigerated food from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times are for quality only.
Cold Storage Chart
Product Refrigerator (40 °F) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Freezer (0 °F)
Eggs
Fresh, in shell 3 to 5 weeks ..............Do not freeze
Raw yolks & whites 2 to 4 days ............1 year
Hard cooked 1 week ........................Does not freeze well .
Liquid pasteurized eggs, egg substitutes
Opened 3 days .............................Does not freeze well
Unopened 10 days ..........................1 year
Mayonnaise, Commercial
Refrigerate after opening 2 months ........Do not freeze
Frozen Dinners & Entrees
Keep frozen until ready to heat - 3 to 4 months
Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, & macaroni
salads 3 to 5 days ........................Does not freeze well
Hot dogs & Luncheon Meats
Hot dogs
Opened package 1 week .....................1 to 2 months
Unopened package 2 weeks ..................1 to 2 months
Luncheon meat
Opened package 3 to 5 days ................1 to 2 months
Unopened package 2 weeks ..................1 to 2 months
Bacon & Sausage
Bacon 7 days ..............................1 month
Sausage
Raw - from chicken, turkey, pork, beef 1 to 2 days... 1 to 2 months
Smoked breakfast links, patties 7 days ....1 to 2 months
Hard sausage - pepperoni, jerky sticks 2 to 3 weeks ....1 to 2 months
Summer sausage labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
Opened 3 weeks ............................1 to 2 months
Unopened 3 months .........................1 to 2 months
Corned Beef
Corned beef, in pouch with pickling juices 5 to 7 days Drained, 1 month
Ham, canned labeled "Keep Refrigerated"
Opened 3 to 5 days ........................1 to 2 months
Unopened 6 to 9 months ....................Do not freeze
Ham, fully cooked
Vacuum sealed at plant, undated, unopened 2 weeks ...1 to 2 months
Vacuum sealed at plant, dated, unopened "Use-By" date on package 1 to
2 months
Whole 7 days ..............................1 to 2 months
Half 3 to 5 days ..........................1 to 2 months
Slices 3 to 4 days ........................1 to 2 months
Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat
Hamburger & stew meat 1 to 2 days .........3 to 4 months
Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb, & mixtures of them 1 to 2 days... 3 to 4 months
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork
Steaks, Ribs& Roasts
Steaks 3 to 5 days ........................6 to 12 months
Chops 3 to 5 days .........................4 to 6 months
Roasts 3 to 5 days ........................4 to 12 months
Variety Meats
Tongue, liver, heart, kidneys, chitterlings 1 to 2
days ......................................3 to 4 months
Pre-stuffed, uncooked pork chops, lamb chops, or chicken breasts
stuffed with dressing 1 day ...............Does not freeze well
Soups & Stews
Vegetable or meat added 3 to 4 days .......2 to 3 months
Fresh Poultry
Chicken or turkey, whole 1 to 2 days ......1 year
Chicken or turkey, pieces 1 to 2 days .....9 months
Giblets 1 to 2 days .......................3 to 4 months
Cooked Meat and Poultry Leftovers
Cooked meat & meat casseroles 3 to 4 days ..2 to 3 months
Gravy & meat broth 1 to 2 days .............2 to 3 months
Fried chicken 3 to 4 days ..................4 months
Cooked poultry casseroles 3 to 4 days ......4 to 6 months
Poultry pieces, plain 3 to 4 days ..........4 months
Poultry pieces in broth, gravy 1 to 2 days .6 months
Chicken nuggets, patties 1 to 2 days .......1 to 3 months
Other Cooked Leftovers
Pizza, cooked 3 to 4 days ..................1 to 2 months
Stuffing, cooked 3 to 4 days ...............1 month
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Comments: 20
I keep a spray bottle under the sink with a mixture of clorox and water to use on surfaces and my cutting boards.....even after washing with soap and water.
No one has cleaner hands than I do.