Thaw Food Safely

Refrigerator: Allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing juices do not drip on other foods.
Cold Water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge in cold tap water.
Microwave: Follow microwave instructions. Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.

Safe Food Preparation - Keep Everything Clean

• Wash hands before and after handling raw meat and poultry.
• Sanitize cutting boards often in a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach in 1 quart water.
• After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife and counter tops with hot, soapy water.
• Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish and their juices away from other food.
• Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
• Wash kitchen towels and cloths often in hot water in washing machine.

Safe Cooking

Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause food borne illness. How can you tell if food has been heated thoroughly? The only way is to use a food thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked meat and poultry. There are some foods, such as, poultry, that will give visual signs of "doneness", but other foods, such as ground beef, will not. Cook ground meats to 160 degrees F; ground poultry to 165 degrees F; beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops may be cooked to 145 degrees F; all cuts of fresh pork to 160 degrees F. Whole poultry should reach 180 degrees F in the thigh, breasts 170 degrees F.

handi-foil recommends removing all juices from our pans with a baster before removing from oven and always support the bottom. Failure to do this can cause injury.

Serving Food Safely

Never leave food out over 2 hours, 1 hour in temperatures above 90 degrees F. Bacteria that cause food borne illness grow rapidly at room temperature. Keep hot food hot! Cold food cold!

• When serving food at a buffet, keep hot food over a heat source and keep cold food on ice. Keep platters of food refrigerated until time to serve or heat them.
• Carry perishable picnic food in cooler with a cold pack or ice. Set the cooler in the shade and open lid as little as possible.

Handling Leftovers Safely

• Divide foods into shallow containers for rapid cooling. Put food directly in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Use cooked leftovers within 4 days.

Refreezing Food

Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before OR after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.

Source: USDA, Washington, D.C.