1. | Wash hands with soapy water
before and after handling any meat products. |
2. | Thoroughly wash all
utensils, containers, cutting boards and work surfaces |
3. | Use separate serving plates
for carrying raw and cooked foods. |
4. | Discard leftover marinades —
do not reuse. |
5. | It is not safe to eat
leftover food that was left out on the counter to cool at dinner time, then
forgotten until morning. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of
temperatures between 40 and 140° F, some doubling in number in as little as 20
minutes. Some types will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking. |
6. | Pathogenic bacteria do not
generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one
cannot tell that a food has been mishandled or is dangerous to eat. If a food
has been left in the "Danger Zone" – between 40 and 140° F – for more
than two hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste
a food to see if it is spoiled. It is always best to use the rule of "When
in doubt, throw it out." |
