There are four simple Food Safety steps recommend from the Virginia Cooperative extensions center in fighting bacteria.

• Always wash you hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before handling food, using the bathroom, handling pets or changing diapers of a baby.

• Wash with hot soapy water the counter top, cutting board, utensils and dishes before and after cook after preparing each food item.

• Use a plastic cutting board, which you can clean by running it through the dishwasher, or wash with hot soapy water.
  
  

• Try to use paper towels to clean up the kitchen, and if you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

Cross contaminating food is spreading bacteria from one-food items to another.

• Keep uncooked meat, poultry and seafood from other items in your grocery cart and in a special place away from other food in the refrigerator.

• Try to use a different cutting board for uncooked meat items.

• Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water after having coming into contact with uncooked meat.

• Don’t put cooked food back on the plate which had uncooked meat on it.

• Make sure food is properly cooked at a high enough temperature to kill bacteria.

• Use a thermometer to; which measures the internal temperature of cooked foods to make sure they are cooked all the way through.

1. Cook roast & steaks to 145 F

2. Poultry cooked to 180 F

3. Cooked ground beef to 160 F

4. Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm

5. Fish should be opaque and flake with a fork

6. Reheat leftovers to 165 F

7. Make sure there are no cold spots when micro waving food.

8. Stir the food occasionally while heating to make sure it is cooked through to the middle.

9. When reheating sauces, soups, and gravy, make sure you bring it to a boil before serving.

Cold temperature keeps bacteria from growing. It is important to refrigerator your foods right after you have eaten.

• Refrigerate and freeze prepared food with two hours after cooking.

• Don’t defrost food at room temperature, defrost food in the refrigerator, most food will defrost in the refrigerator in at least 24 hours.

• Marinate foods in the refrigerator.

• Put leftover food into low containers for quick cooling.

• Don’t over pack the refrigerator; leave room so that the air can circulate to keep the food safe.

• Newport News - 757-591-4838

• Hampton 757-727-1401

• James City County 757-564-4838

• Raw finfish

• Shellfish: Oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops.

• Raw or unpasterized milk or cheese

• Soft Cheeses: such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue veined and Mexican style cheese

• Raw or lightly cooked egg or egg products including salad dressings, cookie, or cake batter, sauces, and beverages such as egg nog.

• Raw meats and poultry.

• Raw /sprouts (alfalfa, clover, and radish)