Food-borne Illness

Keep safe from food-borne illness!

Follow these steps for keeping your food safe and your family healthy!

Check

• Check fruits and vegetables for mold, damage, cuts, and bruises.
• Check for expiration dates.
• Make sure that pre-cut fruit and salads are refrigerated.
• Check cans for dents, holes, and rusted seams.
• Make sure cans are not swollen.

Rinse

• Just before you use them, rinse fruits and vegetables.
• Scrub gently to remove any dirt you can see.
• Do not use soap or bleach.

Chill

• Keep your refrigerator at or below 40 degrees F.
• Refrigerate all cut, peeled, or cooked fresh fruits and vegetables within 2 hours.

Clean

• Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after you handle meat, fruits, and vegetables.
• Clean all counters, cutting boards, and knives in hot soapy water before and after using them.

Separate

• Keep raw meat, seafood, chicken, eggs, and household chemicals separate from fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Do not use the same cutting board or utensils for raw meat or chicken and for other foods. Use different ones, or wash them with hot soapy water before you use them for anything else.

Throw Away

• If foods that will be eaten uncooked have touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, or raw eggs, throw them away.
• Throw away any foods that are past their expiration dates.
• Throw away any foods that look moldy or spoiled. DO NOT TASTE them to see if they are still good.