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CLEAN
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SEPARATE
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Wash hands and surfaces often
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Don't cross-contaminate
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Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, sponges, and countertops. Here's how to fight back:
- Wash hands with hot soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, changing diapers, or handling pets. A tip for kids: have them sing their ABCs twice while washing their hands to assure they spend enough time to get them clean.
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item.
- Use plastic or non-porous cutting boards. These cutting boards should be run through the dishwasher or washed in hot soapy water after each use.
- Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use a dishcloth, wash it in the hot cycle of your washing machine. Put sponges in the dishwasher to get them clean and disinfected.
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If raw meat, poultry, and seafood are not kept separate from other foods, bacteria can "cross-contaminate" or spread from one food to another. Here's how to fight back:
- When grocery shopping, place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in separate plastic bags to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods. Perishable foods should be selected last at the supermarket.
- Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Use a clean plate for cooked foods. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood without having been washed.
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COOK
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CHILL
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Cook to proper temperatures
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Refrigerate promptly
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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 bacteia that causes foodborne illness. Here's how to fight back:
- Use a clean thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked food to make sure it is thoroughly done.
- Check the food doneness chart to be sure you're cooking to the correct doneness. Never eat raw or undercooked meat products.
- Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. Do not use recipes that call for raw or partially cooked eggs. Do not eat raw cookie dough.
- Fish should have lost its glossy surface and flake easily with a fork.
- When cooking in a microwave, make sure there are no cold spots in food where bacteria can survive. For best results, cover food, stir, and rotate for even cooking.
- Bring sauces, soups, marinades, and gravies to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to at least 160 degrees.
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Refrigerate foods quickly. Cold temperatures keep harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Here's how to fight back:
- Set your refrigerator temperature at 40 degrees or lower and the freezer at zero degrees or lower. Check these temperatures occasionally with a refrigerator/freezer thermometer.
- Thaw food in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Never thaw foods at room temperature. Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers (including carry-outs and doggy bags) within two hours. Refrigerate sooner if the air temperature is warmer than 80 degrees.
- Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
- Don't over-pack the refrigerator. Cool air must be able to circulate around food.
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