Target Healthier Nutrition Habits!

Food Preparation Safety Recommendations

The key to safe food preparation is cleanliness in the kitchen. There are several things a safe cook should remember while preparing food for themselves and especially while preparing food for others. This includes:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before cooking and after handling raw meat
• Pull hair back with a net and cover any open cuts or sores
  • If you have an infected sore or cut, do not cook!
• Wash cooking spaces with a bleach solution according to the product’s label
• Keep dishcloths clean and dry
  • Wet cloths harbor bacteria
• Clean the kitchen drain with a bleach solution regularly
• Use one cutting board for meats and another for ready-to-eat foods, such as vegetables
• Thoroughly sanitize cooking utensils before using them on other foods
• Clean plates and dishes used to prepare meat thoroughly before re-use
• Sanitize blenders used to mix raw eggs before using with other food products

Cooking Directives

To prevent food borne illnesses, foods must be cooked to a specific minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer. Please reference the chart on the next page to learn the temperatures certain foods must be cooked to.

Food Storage

Various types of foods also have different shelf lives once they are in the refrigerator or freezer. It is necessary that you follow the recommended guidelines to prevent bacterial growth and subsequent illness.