CDC Food Safety

Do your kids like to lend a hand in the kitchen? Help them avoid food poisoning—wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs.

As a busy parent, it’s a great idea to plan ahead for thawing food safely. Remember to allow enough time for food to thaw completely in the fridge or use a quicker method like cold water or the microwave. Never thaw food on the counter.

Grilling out for your family? Keep the kids and everyone else safe by cooking hamburgers to 160°F to kill harmful germs. Use a food thermometer to make sure your burger is cooked to a safe internal temperature.

Parents: Washing produce is an easy step to help keep kids and yourself healthy and reduce the risk of food poisoning. Rinse fruits and veggies under running water, scrub firm produce with a brush, and don’t use soap, detergent, produce wash, or bleach.

Parents: Hosting a birthday party? Take food poisoning off the agenda—use chafing dishes to keep hot foods at 140°F or above and use ice to keep cold foods at 40°F or below. Learn about other steps to protect guests.

Is it time to thaw your Thanksgiving turkey? If you’re thawing it in the refrigerator, allow about 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds. To prevent juices from getting on other food, place the turkey in a container when thawing in the fridge.

Food poisoning is no treat! Learn about food habits that can make you sick during #Halloween and other times.

Baking #Halloween treats? Don’t taste raw cookie dough or batter– they aren’t safe to eat due to raw eggs and raw flour.

If you have any of these food poisoning symptoms, see a doctor. Most people with #FoodPoisoning have a mild illness, lasting a few hours to several days. But some people need to be hospitalized, and some develop long-term health problems.

#DYK? The temperature danger zone for food is between 40°F & 140°F. This is where bacteria can multiply rapidly in food. Make sure to keep your hot food hot and cold food cold to prevent #FoodPoisoning.

Prevent food poisoning from cross-contamination: Don’t put your cooked meat back on the same plate that held raw meat.

DYK? If you cut ready-to-eat food on the same cutting board as raw meat, you could get sick from the germs. Tap to get more tips during Food Safety Education Month.

To help prevent food poisoning, wash your hands after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, flour, and eggs. These items could have germs that can make you sick.

Germs from raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can get on your utensils, cutting boards, and countertops while cooking.