Food Safety Tips

Take care for the holidays and always.

Cook safe food this holiday season. Photo by Kevin McCutcheon on Unsplash

Here are  ten food safety tips for your holiday food preparation. You can use them at anytime you are cooking.

1. Wash your hands [you didn’t think I would miss this one did you?]: 

• Before, during, and after preparing food

• After handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices, or uncooked eggs

• Before eating

• After touching your face or your hair or other parts of your body 

• After using the toilet

• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste

• After touching garbage

• Before and after caring for someone who is sick

• Before and after treating a cut or wound

• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

• After handling pet food or pet treats.

Print and pin up this chart to remind you how to wash your hands.

2. Between cooking tasks: 

   • Wash utensils, counters, chopping boards, and plates in hot soapy water 

3. Replace your dishcloth frequently.

4. Rinse fruit and vegetables under running water, scrub to remove dirt

   • Use a separate vegetable brush, not the same brush used for handwashing. 

5. Keep uncooked high-risk food away from ready-to-eat food. 

6. Use different chopping boards for raw meat, cooked meat, salads etc. 

To make sure meat is cooked properly, check the temperature. Photo by ThermoPro on Unsplash

2. Cook food to the right temperature:  

   • Check the chart if you aren’t sure what that is.

3. Get a meat thermometer:

   • Do not rely on the color of the meat to see if it cooked. 

4. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold:

   • Refrigerate heated food within 2 h of being at room temperature

5.  Do not thaw by leaving food on the counter:

   • If you have time: Thaw in the fridge 

   • When in a hurry: Use cold running water or a microwave or add directly to cooking food.

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Who is Cathy Davies?

I write about the intersection of food science and food systems with an emphasis on food safety, food justice and resilience. I am concerned that climate disasters and changing weather patterns are affecting our ability to eat healthy, nutritious food.  

I run a food safety consultancy, Food Safety Mid Atlantic, supporting specialty food businesses with their food safety plans and programs. If you are interested in learning more about my consulting services, please schedule a free call. 

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