have a safe and healthy holiday season taking steps to follow food safety precautions can mean the difference between a festive holiday season or being sick for days follow these tips from the partnership for food safety education clean ✓ wash hands properly-scrubbing with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after handling food after food preparation with a clean cloth plates and food storage containers ✓ rinse fruits and vegetables-regardless of their peel and rind-under running water before preparing cook ✓ verify food is properly cooked with an instant-read food thermometer- not ✓ follow current recommended internal ground meat & meat mixtures - beef chicken 165°f cooked 165°f; smoked cook-before-eating 145°f with a 3-minute resting period • egg dishes - 160°f crabs-flesh pearly and opaque; scallops- oysters and mussels- shells open during cooking ✓ hold hot foods — 140°f or higher while serving with heated chafing dishes or slow cookers separate ✓ never rinse meat before preparing it bacteria from raw meat can splatter on you! cooking meat properly will kill harmful bacteria unpasteurized raw eggs on their own ✓ put raw meat in a plastic bag when selecting and place at the bottom of large plate on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to prevent the spreading of leaks chill ✓ hold cold foods below 40°f or cooler while serving in ice baths or in frozen insulated containers hours food containers in a refrigerator at 40°f or below ✓ eat or freeze leftovers within 3 to 4 days partnership for food safety education big y has joined the efforts of the partnership for food safety education to help reduce your risk for foodborne illness! adding food safety reminders in recipes as seen in our dig in recipes and on improve food safety behaviors at home learn more at fightbac.org
