Food Safety 101

The new school year is officially in full swing, and for many families, so are busy weeknights packed with after-school activities. Between sports, rehearsals, clubs and other engagements, you may have less time than usual to carefully prepare a meal when dinnertime rolls around. That might mean relying more on quick dinners and leftovers, eating at different times or letting older kids fend for themselves in the kitchen for the first time.

With so much going on, it can be easy for anyone to overlook food safety – especially those with less culinary experience. But making sure your household is on the same page about the basics of food preparation and safety can give you peace of mind regardless of who is in the kitchen — or what they’re whipping up. Here are four food safety essentials, along with some dos and don’ts, to help keep your family healthy no matter what the calendar looks like.

Set a Clean Scene

A good meal starts with a clean kitchen. Clean hands, surfaces and cooking utensils are key at every step of the process.

Do:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing or eating food, and after using the bathroom, handling pets or coming home from school or work.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating or preparing them.
• Use clean utensils when taste-testing different foods or wash them between tasks.
• Wipe down food-preparation surfaces thoroughly before, during and after meal prep.

Don’t:

• Assume your hands are clean just because they look clean.
• Assume a surface is clean just because it hasn’t been used recently.

Separate, Don’t Contaminate

Culinary cleanliness isn’t just about sanitized surfaces. It’s also important to avoid cross-contamination, especially when different people use the kitchen at different times.

Do:

• Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs away from ready-to-eat foods.
• Use separate cutting boards for raw and ready-to-eat foods when possible.
• Wash cutting boards, countertops and utensils thoroughly between uses.

Don’t:

• Put cooked food on a plate that raw meat or seafood was on without washing it.
• Prepare ready-to-eat foods on the same surface you used to prep raw foods.
• Let raw juices come into contact with other foods.

Heat Before You Eat

Seasoned chefs might just know when something is cooked to perfection, but for those still learning their way around the kitchen, it doesn’t hurt to be vigilant about un- or undercooked foods.

Do:

• Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, poultry, eggs and other foods reach a safe temperature (and make sure your kids know how to use one, too).
• Follow the cooking directions if included on food packaging.
• Encourage your family to ask for help if they’re unsure whether something is fully cooked.

Don’t:

• Assume food is safe to eat simply because it looks cooked.
• Consume raw cookie dough or batter… as tempting as it may be.

Keep It Cool

Food safety doesn’t start – or end – with meal prep. Whether it’s the ingredients you’re grabbing beforehand or the leftovers you put away later, storing things in the right container and at the right temperature is also part of the equation.  

Do:

• Keep perishable foods like meat, dairy and eggs refrigerated at all times.
• Put leftovers away promptly rather than leaving them on the counter (bonus points for date-labeling them).
• Store raw meat in sealed containers on a lower shelf to help prevent leaks.
• Leave enough room in the refrigerator for cold air to circulate.

Don’t:

• Leave perishable foods sitting out while everyone finishes eating.
• Assume something is safe to eat because it looks or smells fine after sitting out.
• Turn the refrigerator into a guessing game. If you can’t remember how long something has been there, throw it out.

No matter what your schedule looks like this fall, one thing's for sure: food poisoning doesn't belong on the family calendar. Fortunately, food safety basics are something everyone can be on the same page about even when you can't all be at the same table.