• Seven Keys to Food Safety and a Healthy Diet
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    • Four keys to food safety

      A woman washing her hands with soap and water.

      1. Prepare food safely.

      Why? Dangerous germsa in contaminated food and water can enter your body and make you sick.

      Health experts recommend:

      • Before you prepare food, wash your hands with soap and water.b Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. Scrub the backs of your hands as well as between your fingers and under your fingernails. Rinse and dry your hands well.

      • Use soap and water to wash cutting boards, dishes, and anything else that will touch food. Additionally, avoid using the same board for food that will be cooked and food that will not be cooked.

      • Wash all fruits and vegetables, and also disinfect them if you live in an area where crops might have been irrigated using water contaminated with excrement.

      A man washing a knife with soap and water. Raw chicken and fresh vegetables sit on separate cutting boards.

      2. Separate raw and cooked foods.

      Why? Germs from raw food such as meat and its juices will contaminate other food.

      Health experts recommend:

      • Separate all raw foods—especially meats—from prepared foods when you carry them home from the market and store them.

      • After cutting raw meat, thoroughly wash your hands, the knife, and the cutting board before cutting any other food.

      A woman stirring a pot of soup on a stove.

      3. Make sure food that needs to be cooked is cooked thoroughly.

      Why? Harmful germs are killed only if the food reaches a high enough temperature.

      Health experts recommend:

      • Cook food until it is very hot. Food, including the innermost portions of meat, must reach 70 degrees Celsius (160°F) for at least 30 seconds.

      • Bring soups and stews to a boil.

      • To eat previously-cooked food, reheat it until it is hot and steaming.

      A woman storing a container of food in a refrigerator.

      4. Keep food at safe temperatures.

      Why? If food is stored at a temperature between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius (40–140°F) for just 20 minutes, the number of bacteria in it can double. Further, if raw meat is not stored at safe temperatures, some bacteria can produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking.

      Health experts recommend:

      • Keep food hot or cold, not lukewarm, to slow or stop germs from multiplying.

      • Never leave food sitting at room temperature for more than two hours, or for more than one hour if the room temperature is over 32 degrees Celsius (90°F).

      • After it is cooked, keep food hot until just before serving.

  • Seven Keys to Food Safety and a Healthy Diet
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    • Common misconceptions

      Misconception: Food is safe to eat if it looks, smells, and tastes fine.

      Fact: It takes over 10 billion bacteria to make one liter (1 qt) of water look cloudy, but as few as 15 to 20 dangerous bacteria can make you sick. To ensure that your food and drinks are safe, prepare, serve, and store them within the recommended temperatures and time limits.

      Misconception: Flies do not harm food.

      Fact: Flies feed on and breed in filth such as excrement, so they often carry millions of disease-causing germs on their feet. To protect prepared food from contamination by flies, cover it completely.