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Keep Food Safe! Food
Safety Basics |
Safe
steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are
essential in preventing foodborne illness. You
can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that
may cause illness. In every step of food
preparation, follow the four Fight BAC!®
guidelines to keep food safe:
- Clean—Wash hands and
surfaces often.
- Separate—Don't
cross-contaminate.
- Cook—Cook to proper
temperatures, checking with a food
thermometer.
- Chill—Refrigerate
promptly.
Shopping
- Purchase refrigerated or frozen items
after selecting your nonperishables.
- Never choose meat or poultry in
packaging that is torn or leaking.
- Do not buy food past "Sell-By,"
"Use-By," or other expiration dates.
Storage
- Always refrigerate perishable food
within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature
is above 90 °F).
- Check the temperature of your
refrigerator and freezer with an appliance
thermometer. The refrigerator should be at
40 °F or below and the freezer at 0 °F or
below.
- Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish,
ground meats, and variety meats within 2
days; other beef, veal, lamb, or pork,
within 3 to 5 days.
- Perishable food such as meat and poultry
should be wrapped securely to maintain
quality and to prevent meat juices from
getting onto other food.
- To maintain quality when freezing meat
and poultry in its original package, wrap
the package again with foil or plastic wrap
that is recommended for the freezer.
- In general, high-acid canned food such
as tomatoes, grapefruit, and pineapple can
be stored unopened on the shelf for 12 to 18
months. Low-acid canned food such as meat,
poultry, fish, and most vegetables will keep
2 to 5 years-if the unopened can remains in
good condition and has been stored in a
cool, clean, and dry place. Discard cans
that are dented, leaking, bulging, or
rusted.
Thawing
- Refrigerator—The
refrigerator allows slow, safe thawing. Make
sure thawing meat and poultry juices do not
drip onto other food.
- Cold Water—For faster
thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic
bag. Submerge in cold tap water. Change the
water every 30 minutes. Cook immediately
after thawing.
- Microwave—Cook meat and
poultry immediately after microwave thawing.
Preparation
- Always wash hands with soap and warm
water for 20 seconds before and after
handling food.
- Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat,
poultry, fish, and their juices away from
other food. After cutting raw meats, wash
cutting board, knife, and counter tops with
hot, soapy water.
- Marinate meat and poultry in a covered
dish in the refrigerator.
- Sanitize cutting boards by using a
solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented,
liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
Cooking
Cook foods to the recommended safe minimum
internal temperatures listed below. Check
temperatures with a food thermometer. Learn more
about using food thermometers on the FSIS Web
site or by calling the USDA Meat and Poultry
Hotline.
|
|
Cooking |
|
Product |
Type |
Internal Temperature (°F) |
| Beef &
Veal |
Ground |
160 |
| Steak and roasts
medium |
160 |
| Steak and roasts
medium rare |
145 |
| Chicken
& Turkey |
Breasts |
165 |
| Ground, stuffing,
and casseroles |
165 |
| Whole bird, legs,
thighs, and wings |
165 |
| Eggs |
Any type |
160 |
| Fish & Shellfish |
Any type |
145 |
| Lamb |
Ground |
160 |
| Steak and roasts
medium |
160 |
| Steaks and roasts
medium rare |
145 |
| Leftovers |
Any type |
165 |
| Pork |
Chops, fresh (raw)
ham ground, ribs, and roasts |
160 |
| Fully cooked ham
(to reheat) |
140 |
Serving
- Hot food should be held at 140 °F or
warmer.
- Cold food should be held at 40 °F or
colder.
- When serving food at a buffet, keep hot
food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers,
and warming trays. Keep cold food cold by
nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small
serving trays and replace them often.
- Use a food thermometer to check hot and
cold holding temperatures.
- Perishable food should not be left out
more than 2 hours at room temperature (1
hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).
Leftovers
- Discard any food left out at room
temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if
the temperature was above 90 °F).
- Place food into shallow containers and
immediately put in the refrigerator or
freezer for rapid cooling.
- Use most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4
days. (See chart.)
Refreezing
Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator
may be refrozen before or after cooking. If
thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.
Cold Storage Chart
These storage times will help keep refrigerated
(40 °F) food from spoiling or becoming dangerous
to eat. Because freezing at 0 °F or below (not
32 °F) keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended
freezer storage times are for quality only. Use
an appliance thermometer to monitor storage
temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer.
For more specific information or for foods not
listed here, contact the USDA Meat & Poultry
Hotline or check the FSIS Web site. |
|
Cold Storage Chart |
|
Preparation |
Type or Description |
Refrigerate (40 °F) |
Freeze (0 °F)* |
| Beef,
Lamb, Pork, Veal |
| Fresh
beef, lamb, veal and pork |
Ground, hamburger,
stew meat, variety meat (tongue, liver, heart,
kidney, chitterlings) |
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
| Chops, roasts,
steaks |
3-5 days |
4-12 months |
| Chops, pre-stuffed |
1 day |
Does not freeze
well |
|
Leftovers |
Including
casseroles |
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
| Corned
Beef |
In pouch, with
pickling juices |
5-7 days |
Drained, 1 month |
| Bacon |
Bacon |
7 days |
1 month |
| Ham
(Pre-Cooked) |
| Fully
Cooked |
Slices |
3-4 days |
1-2 months |
| Half |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Whole |
7 days |
1-2 months |
| Canned
Labeled "Keep Refrigerated" |
Opened |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Unopened |
6-9 months |
Do not freeze |
| Vacuum
sealed |
Unopened, fully
cooked vacuum sealed, dated |
"Use-by" date |
1-2 months |
| Unopened, fully
cooked vacuum sealed, undated |
2 weeks |
1-2 months |
| Chicken,
Turkey, Other Poultry |
| Fresh |
Chicken breast,
pre-stuffed |
1 day |
Does not freeze
well |
| Ground, patties,
giblets |
1-2 days |
3-4 months |
| Pieces |
1-2 days |
9 months |
| Whole |
1-2 days |
1 year |
|
Leftovers |
Casseroles |
3-4 days |
4-6 months |
| Chicken nuggets,
patties |
1-2 days |
1-3 months |
| Pieces, plain or
fried |
3-4 days |
4 months |
| Pieces in broth or
gravy |
3-4 days |
6 months |
| Eggs |
| Fresh |
In shell |
3-5 weeks |
Do not freeze |
| Yolk, whites |
2-4 days |
1 year |
|
Leftovers |
Casserole, quiche,
omelet |
3-4 days |
2 months |
| Hard-cooked |
1 week |
Does not freeze
well |
| Opened |
Liquid pasteurized
eggs, egg substitutes |
3 days |
Does not freeze
well |
|
Unopened |
Liquid pasteurized
eggs, egg substitutes |
10 days |
1 year |
|
Sausages, Lunch Meats |
| Hard
Sausage |
Jerky sticks,
pepperoni |
2-3 weeks |
1-2 months |
| Raw
Sausage |
Beef, chicken,
pork, turkey |
1-2 days |
1-2 months |
| Smoked
Sausage |
Breakfast links,
patties |
7 days |
1-2 months |
| Lunch
Meat |
Deli-sliced or
store-prepared |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Opened |
Hot dogs |
1 week |
1-2 months |
| Lunch
meat—vacuum-packed, sliced |
3-5 days |
1-2 months |
| Summer sausage
labeled "keep refrigerated" |
3 weeks |
1-2 months |
|
Unopened |
Hot dogs |
2 weeks |
1-2 months |
| Lunch
meat—vacuum-packed, sliced |
2 weeks |
1-2 months |
| Summer sausage
labeled "keep refrigerated" |
3 months |
1-2 months |
| Seafood |
| Fresh |
Fish |
1-2 days |
3-8 months |
| Shellfish |
1-2 days |
3-12 months |
|
Leftovers |
Fish and shellfish |
3-4 days |
3 months |
|
Miscellaneous |
| Frozen
Dinners and Entrees |
"Keep frozen" |
Unsafe to thaw |
3-4 months |
|
Mayonnaise |
Commercial,
"refrigerate after opening" |
2 months |
Do not freeze |
| Other
Leftovers |
Gravy and meat
broth |
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
| Pizza |
3-4 days |
1-2 months |
| Soups and stews |
3-4 days |
2-3 months |
| Stuffing |
3-4 days |
1 month |
| Salads |
Egg, chicken, ham,
macaroni, tuna (store-prepared, homemade) |
3-5 days |
Does not freeze
well |
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