Practice Good Food Safety at Home

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From your school cooks:

Food safety at home means more than just washing your hands before you eat. Being wise when you handle and store food before cooking, cooking food properly, holding food at the correct temperature and eating it within the prescribed time can significantly reduce your risk of food poisoning, so follow these four easy steps:

1. Wash hands regularly using soap and water and scrubbing hands, fingers, and nails for at least 20 seconds with soap before rinsing.

2. Keep foods separated in storage and during preparation - Especially raw meats, vegetables, eggs, dairy and ready to eat foods.

3. Cook foods to the proper temperatures per guidelines or manufacturer's instructions. All foods should be held at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and foods that are being reheated should reach at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Refrigerate perishable foods as soon as possible at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler. Perishable foods may not be safe if left out for more than 2 hours.

Cleaning Tips:

• Keep all surfaces (like countertops and cutting boards) and utensils clean by using warm, soapy water after each use.
• Wash all cloths and sponges very often to remove any harmful pathogens.

Cooking Temperature Guidelines:

• The temperatures below are for the most common meats and leftovers.

We hope you enjoy your meals and we look forward to serving you again soon.