Cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness. As consumers it’s important that we safely handle food after it’s purchased. There are four easy steps we can follow to help prevent foodborne illness:

• Clean: wash hands and surfaces often
• Separate: don’t cross contaminate
• Cook: cook to proper temperatures
• Chill: refrigerate promptly

Listed below are additional steps that we can take to protect ourselves and others from food-related illnesses.

1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds:

• Before and after handling food
• After using the bathroom
• After touching pets
• After coughing or sneezing
• After handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood

2. If you have any kind of skin abrasion, always use clean disposable gloves. Wash hands frequently with warm, soapy water.
3. Wash all surfaces with hot, soapy water. When preparing raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, clean surfaces before moving on to the next step. Consider using paper towels when cleaning kitchen surfaces. Linens used in the kitchen should be washed often and on a hot cycle. Be sure to clean all surfaces including the faucet with hot, soapy water.
4. Thoroughly clean cutting boards, wash them in hot, soapy water. When cutting boards are excessively worn or have hard to clean grooves, replace them.

• Consider using one cutting board for fresh produce and one for raw meat, poultry, and fish. This can help prevent bacteria from contaminating other foods that don’t require cooking.

5. Never use the same platter and utensils that raw product has touched, this can contaminate the cooked product. Be sure to use clean plates, utensils, and hands once the product is cooked.
6. When using a food thermometer, clean the probe before reinserting it into the food.

When thinking about food safety, properly storing food plays a huge role in preventing foodborne illness. Keep your refrigerator at or below 40°F and your freezer at 0°F. Using an appliance thermometer helps to ensure your refrigerator and freezer maintain a safe temperature.

For more food safety information, recalls, and health alerts you can visit the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website at fsis.usda.gov or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov

Kaitlynn Tonn is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or tonn.13@osu.edu
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This article was previously published in The Daily Record.