You have the power to \”Fight BAC\” and to keep you food safe from harmful bacteria. It\’s as easy as following these four simple steps:
Wash your hands with hot soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers and handling pets.
Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter topes with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.
Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards. These boards should be run through the dishwasher - or washed in hot soapy water - after use
Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle or your washing machine.
Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
If possible, use a different cutting board for raw meat products.
Always wash hands, cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry and seafood.
Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry and seafood.
Use a clean thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked foods, to make sure meat, poultry, casseroles and other foods are cooked all the way through.
Cook roasts and steaks to at least 145 F. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 F for doneness.
Cooked ground beef, where bacteria can spread during processing, to at least 160 F. Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links eating undercooked, pink ground beef with a higher risk of illness. If a thermometer is not available, do not eat ground beef that si still pink inside.
Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Don\’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
Fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
When cooking in a microwave oven, make sure there are no cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. For best results, cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.
Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 F.
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours or sooner.
Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, under cold running water or in the microwave. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
* Don\’t pack the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
Although an invisible enemy may be in your kitchen, you have four powerful tools to \”Fight Back!\”: washing hands and surfaces often, avoiding cross-contamination, cooking to proper temperatures, and refrigerating promptly. So, be a BAC Fighter and make the meals and snacks from your kitchen as safe as possible.
Cooking food to the proper temperature kills harmful bacteria. So Fight BAC by thoroughly cooking your food as follows:
| Raw Food | Internal Temperature |
|
| |
| Ground Products | |
| Hamburger | 160 F |
| Beef, veal, lamb, pork | 160 F |
| Chicken, turkey | 165 F |
|
| |
| Beef, Veal, Lamb | |
| Roasts & Steaks | |
| medium-rare | 145 F |
| medium | 160 F |
| well-done | 170 F |
| Pork | |
| Chops, roasts, ribs | |
| medium | 160 F |
| well-done | 170 F |
| Ham, fresh | 160 F |
| Sausage, fresh | 160 F |
|
| |
| Poultry | |
| Chicken, whole & pieces | 180 F |
| Duck | 180 F |
| Turkey (unstuffed) | 180 F |
| Whole | 180 F |
| Breast | 170 F |
| Dark meat | 180 F |
| Stuffing (cooked separately) | 165 F |
|
| |
| Eggs | |
| Fried, poached | Yolk & white are firm |
| Casseroles | 160 F |
| Sauces, custards | 160 F |
|
| |