Food safety at home

If food isn’t handled, prepared or stored properly, it can become spoiled with germs, yet still taste and smell okay.

These germs can cause stomach-aches, diarrhea, vomiting, or fever. Some germs can cause more serious problems such as kidney failure, blood infection, or even paralysis. Babies and young children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems are most at risk of problems if they eat food that is spoiled.

How do germs get into food?

Infections related to food do happen. Here’s how:

• Food from animal sources (such as meat, chicken) can contain germs coming from these animals.
• Vegetables and fruits can pick up germs from the soil or during harvesting.
• Germs can get onto food while it is handled, processed, stored, and/or transported.

Usually, foods don’t have enough germs to make you sick. Common exceptions are raw meats, eggs, and unpasteurized dairy products. Pasteurized foods have been through a process that kills germs without making the food less nutritious.
At home, germs that may be on your food can grow to high levels if the food is not stored, handled and cooked properly. Most germs grow very slowly in the refrigerator, but grow faster at room temperature (for example, when you leave meat out on the counter).
You can learn about warnings from the radio, television, the Internet and newspapers.

Should I buy organic food?

Food labeled “organic” is not less likely to have germs than non-organic food. You should use the same care in handling and storing food even if it is labeled “organic”.

How can I keep my family safe?

• Choose safe foods for your child.
  • Avoid unpasteurized milk and cheese products and fruit or vegetable juices, unless they were prepared from washed, fresh fruit or vegetables just before serving. The label will say if the milk and juices that you buy are pasteurized.
  • Thoroughly rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, especially if they are to be served uncooked. Lettuce, spinach and other salad greens need particular attention. 
  • Children should avoid eating raw or under cooked alfalfa, mung bean or other sprouts, because the seeds used for sprouting may have germs.
  • Children younger than one year of age should not eat honey. It may contain a germ that causes infant botulism, a type of paralysis in infants, but not in older children and adults.
  
  
  
• Separate raw foods from cooked foods.
  • Store meat, poultry, fish or seafood in leak-proof containers in the fridge, so that juices don’t spill onto other foods.  
  • Keep raw meats, poultry, fish and seafood away from cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables. Wash hands, utensils, chopping boards and work surfaces carefully after handling raw meats, and before using the same items to prepare raw vegetables, salads, sandwiches or other food.
  • When barbecuing, do not place cooked meats back on the plate that held raw meats.
• Wash your hands.
  • Wash your hands carefully with soap and water before you prepare or handle food. Also wash hands after handling raw meat, poultry or seafood.
  • If you have to stop for any reason while you are preparing food – especially to use the toilet, change a diaper or touch a pet—wash your hands before returning to the food.
• Reheat cooked foods adequately.
  • When serving heated leftovers, reheat the food all the way through.
• Keep your kitchen clean. 
  • Clean all dishes, utensils, cutting boards, and counters that are in contact with food before and after each use. Use hot water.
• Protect your food.
  • Insects, rodents and other animals including pets can carry germs. Store nonperishable foods (foods that don’t need to be refrigerated) in closed containers in a safe place.
• Use safe water.
  • Always use safe water when preparing food. If in doubt about water quality, boil it.