Thaw Food Safely
Refrigerator: Allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing juices do not drip on other food.
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 countertops with hot, soapy water.
Don’t cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish and their juices away from other food. Line trays and carries of raw meat with foil, so juices don’t cross-contaminate. (You can also use various Handi-foil containers)
Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Wash kitchen towels and cloths often in hot water in washing machine.
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. Also, separate raw meat in different Handi-foil products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Serving Food Safely
Never leave food out over 2 hours, 1 hour in temperatures above 90 degrees F. Bacteria that cause foodborne 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 a 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 four days.
Refreezing Food
Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be re-frozen before OR after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.
Source: USDA, Washington, D.C.
