SmartParents.org
Tips, News & Resources for Parenting, Family Life & Online Safety

FINANCE

NUTRITION / FOOD SAFETY

infant nutrition

toddler nutrition

pre-teen nutrition

teen nutrition

AUTOMOTIVE

auto insurance

Proper Food Safety in the Home

Proper food safety is an important factor in maintaining the health and well-being of your family. Food borne illnesses are a serious issue, and in some cases can even prove deadly.

When at home, one of the best means of maintaining food safety is to enforce strict rules for hand washing. Washing the hands for a full 30 seconds with soap and warm water removes germs and bacteria better than any other method out there. Make it a rule that all kids and adults need to wash their hands after using the toilet, after changing diapers, whenever hands come into contact with body fluids, and before fixing or eating food.

Adults should also wash their hands thoroughly after touching raw meat, poultry, fish or eggs.

Of course, food safety also goes beyond handling raw meats - there's cross-contamination to worry about too. Keep foods apart by separating meats from vegetables in your grocery cart, and at home. Keep meats in plastic bags to keep juices from draining, always use a clean cutting board, and if possible, use one board for veggies, and another for raw meat, poultry and seafood.

Always marinate meat in the refrigerator, and don't reuse the marinade that has been used on raw meats.

Finally, proper food safety for everyone in the home means that meats and eggs should be thoroughly cooked. A clean food thermometer can tell you when things are done, but if you don't have one the safest guidelines are as follows:

Ground burger can have bacteria inside the meat, so don't eat ground beef that's still pink inside.

Cooks roasts and steaks completely. Poultry should be cooked all the way through until the juices run clear (about 170 degrees).

Seafood should be opaque when it's done, and flake easily with a fork.

And eggs should be cooked until the yolks and white are firm.

By following these guidelines you and your loved ones can safely avoid the dangers of food borne illness, and establish good habits for proper food safety in the future.