Can Your Kitchen Pass a Food Preparation, Safety, and Storage Test? (2276)

Can you answer "yes" to these questions about kitchen food safety?

1. Is your refrigerator set at 40 degrees F or lower and your freezer at 0 degrees F? A temperature of 40 degrees F or less is important because it slows bacterial growth. Freezing at 0 degrees F stops bacterial growth, although it won't kill most bacteria already present. Keep an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer and check the temperature frequently. Adjust the temperature control dial as needed.

2. Do you refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking? Divide large amounts into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

3. When you use a cutting board for raw meat, poultry or fish, do you wash it with hot soapy water and rinse it with hot water before chopping another food? Keep raw meats and their juices away from other food, especially foods served without further cooking. Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards rather than wooden ones; run them through a dishwasher after use.

4. Do you cook hamburgers until they're no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear? As bacteria can spread throughout ground meat during processing, these meats should be cooked thoroughly.

5. Before and after preparing food, do you wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds? Hand washing is important for food safety.

6. Do you defrost foods in the refrigerator? Food safety experts recommend thawing foods in the refrigerator or the microwave oven. Cook foods defrosted in the microwave oven immediately after thawing.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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