SAFE FOOD FAQs
What's Basic about Food Safety? Answer Text: Food safety is really important. Thousands of people get sick every year. Choosing good food starts when you shop. Be picky about where you decide to spend your money. Be careful about how you handle what you've bought! ● Read labels! There's more to learn than just looking at the package or the date on a label. Those dates mean a lot of different things. Our videos explain them all for you. ● Next, there are just 4 rules for safe food handling ‐ CLEAN, CHILL, COOK, AND SEPARATE. ● Clean means more than just washing your hands. It's everything! Wash the grocery bag as well as your hands. Clean counters before starting to prepare the meal. Keep the refrigerator clean too! There are a few bacteria that can grow in there. Our videos will give you more ideas for what and how to keep things clean. ● A lot of our foods need to be kept cold to be safe. That's rule 2‐ chill it. It’s a big chill, as in how to get your food cold enough, fast enough, and keep it cold to stop any bacteria from growing. There are limits to what your refrigerator can do. There are ways to help your ‘fridge do its job well. And if you’re heading off to the park or beach, check out the best ways to be sure your cooler will keep you safe. Pack it safely before you leave! Keeping food chilled is important. There are plenty more facts and features in our video segments. ● Cooking will kill bacteria, if it's hot enough long enough. You can't trust your eyes to know if it's done. Only a food thermometer will tell you the truth! Thermometers will also keep you from overcooking, so you can enjoy juicy meats safely. Microwaves are tricky. They'll heat, but might not kill bacteria. Our sections on microwave cooking show you how to be quick and safe. ● One more rule ‐ keep foods separate! That means separate cutting boards, and more. Use a separate plate and utensils for meat after it's been cooked. Don't let those juices drip onto foods that won't be cooked to the same temperature. There are tips on where to place foods in the refrigerator to lower your chances of problems if something breaks or spills. More tips, hints and answers to your questions about safe food handling are all there in the different sections of our video set. ● Check out our FAQs on Food Safety videos. Look at the list of topics, choose what’s on your mind, and get the facts in 2 minutes or less. They're on our website, easy to access day or night, whenever you have a food safety question! http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu Search under Safe Food. Produced by Mary Keith, PhD, LD Extension Agent IV, Foods, Nutrition and Health Billie Lofland, MS Senior Video Producer UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension, 5339 CR 579, Seffner, FL 33584 813‐744‐5519