The dangers of food poisoning are relatively low today thanks to modern food-handling practices, but food continues to be a potential carrier of illness-causing agents like the flu, botulism, E. coli, hepatitis A, salmonella, norovirus and typhoid.
The Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the U.S. agency responsible for regulating and enforcing commercial food safety standards, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend following four key steps to prevent spreading foodborne illnesses.
Clean
The first step to cooking or preparing food is to begin with a clean cooking area. Make sure all countertops, containers, utensils and raw foods have been washed and disinfected. Chemical cleaners like bleach are effective for cleaning surfaces, but stick to soap and water for disinfecting all other items. Thoroughly dry after washing because bacteria multiply quickly in damp environments.
Hand washing is critical. FSIS recommends washing hands briskly with soap and warm water for 20 seconds prior to handling food. Hands should also be washed regularly throughout the cooking process. Rewash your hands every time you come into contact with raw meats, poultry or seafood; garbage; noncooking surfaces like doorknobs and remote controls; your face, clothes or body; pets; and especially after using the restroom.
Separate
Raw meats, poultry and seafood should be kept separate from other foods at all times. The easiest way to avoid cross-contamination during the cooking process is to prepare uncooked foods, like salads, before preparing animal-based foods. Do not reuse plates, cutting boards or utensils after they've come into direct or indirect contact with animal products. At the very least, they must be washed with hot, soapy water and dried prior to reuse with any other foods.
Make sure all meats, poultry and seafood are covered to prevent airborne cross-contamination, and store them at the bottom of the refrigerator, where they can't drip onto other foods.
Cook
Cooking eradicates most viruses and harmful bacteria, which is why FSIS recommends cooking meat and poultry to minimum internal temperatures. Beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops and roasts should be heated to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F. For ground meats, 160 degrees F is the target internal temperature. FSIS recommends cooking poultry to the highest minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Special attention should be paid to ensuring food stays within a safe range of temperatures prior to cooking, too. The safest method for thawing frozen foods is to place them in the refrigerator. Thawing in the refrigerator is slow, but it's the safest method; foods should never be thawed at room temperature or warmer because those are the ideal temperatures for bacterial growth. Frozen foods can be thawed quickly and safely in cold water as well. For a cold-water thaw, place the frozen item in a leak-proof plastic bag, submerge it in cold water and replace the water every 30 minutes to keep the temperature low.
Chill
According to WHO, a single bacterium can multiply to over 16 million within six hours in a warm, hospitable environment. For this reason, leftovers should be stored and chilled as quickly as possible after serving. The less time bacteria have to multiply, the less likely the food is to get contaminated to the point of causing sickness. Put leftovers in shallow containers and place into a refrigerator or freezer. Discard any food that has been sitting at room temperature for longer than two hours.
Food will never be completely sterile. The goal is to minimize contamination and bacterial growth as much as possible. Clean, separate, cook and chill your food to keep it safe for consumption.
For more information, visit www.fsisusda.gov or www.who.int.
