1. Stay Healthy with Food Safety
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service

2. Causes of food-borne illness
Bacteria
Leading cause
Viruses
Parasites
Fungi

3. Who is at risk for food-borne illness?
EVERYONE is potentially at risk for food-borne illness, but the following groups are at higher risk than others:
Children
Pregnant women
Seniors
Individuals with compromised immune systems
Medications that weaken natural immunity

4. Four steps to food safety
Cleanliness
Food separation
Proper cooking
Chill

5. Cleanliness Personal hygiene
Wash hands with hot, soapy water
Cleaning and sanitizing kitchen surfaces and utensils
Use hot, soapy water after preparing each food item

6. Food separation
Raw meat, seafood, and poultry separated from other foods during shopping and storage
Different cutting boards for raw meat, seafood, poultry and other foods

7. Proper cooking Food thermometer
Types
Dial-face
Digital instant read
Correct use
Insertion in thickest part of food
Reading taken after 15 second wait once temperature stops changing
Periodic accuracy check in cold water
Proper cooking temperatures for different foods

8. Chill Proper temperature setting of appliances
Refrigerator: degrees Fahrenheit
Freezer: no higher than 0 degrees Fahrenheit
Cooled to under 40 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours
Divide large amounts of food into smaller portions

9. Chill Safe defrosting of frozen foods
Defrost foods in refrigerator, not on counter top
Under cold, running water
Microwave, if cooked immediately
No room temperature defrosting

10. TAKE HOME MESSAGE
The highest rates of food-borne illness occur at home!
Keep food nutritious and safe to eat by following the Four Steps to Food Safety:
Clean! (hands and equipment)
Separate! (raw foods especially)
Cook! (use a thermometer to assure safety)
Chill! (check refrigerator and freezer temperatures)