What practice helps prevent foodborne illness?

What practice helps prevent foodborne illness?

• A. Wash your hands, the counter, cutting boards; thaw and store food properly
• B. Leave meat to thaw at room temperature
• C. Wash only your hands
• D. Keep food uncovered in the fridge

Answer: (A)

The main idea is practicing safe food handling to stop the spread and growth of harmful bacteria. The best approach combines cleaning and proper storage to prevent contamination and cross-contact between raw and ready-to-eat foods. Washing your hands, the counter, and cutting boards, along with keeping things clean, reduces the chance that bacteria from raw foods will move to cooked or ready-to-eat items. Hands should be washed with soap and warm water for about 20 seconds, and surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized after they touch raw meat or poultry. Using separate cutting boards for raw meat and for produce helps prevent cross-contamination. Thawing and storing foods properly is essential. Thaw in the fridge where temperatures stay at or below 40°F (4°C), or in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave if you’ll cook it right away. Store raw meats below any ready-to-eat foods in the fridge to avoid drips contaminating others. Keep the fridge at safe temperatures and refrigerate leftovers within two hours (one hour if it's hot outside). Leaving meat to thaw at room temperature allows bacteria to multiply quickly, so that option isn’t safe. Washing only your hands ignores the surfaces and utensils that can spread contamination. Keeping food uncovered in the fridge exposes it to contaminants and can dry it out.

The main idea is practicing safe food handling to stop the spread and growth of harmful bacteria. The best approach combines cleaning and proper storage to prevent contamination and cross-contact between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

Washing your hands, the counter, and cutting boards, along with keeping things clean, reduces the chance that bacteria from raw foods will move to cooked or ready-to-eat items. Hands should be washed with soap and warm water for about 20 seconds, and surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized after they touch raw meat or poultry. Using separate cutting boards for raw meat and for produce helps prevent cross-contamination.

Thawing and storing foods properly is essential. Thaw in the fridge where temperatures stay at or below 40°F (4°C), or in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave if you’ll cook it right away. Store raw meats below any ready-to-eat foods in the fridge to avoid drips contaminating others. Keep the fridge at safe temperatures and refrigerate leftovers within two hours (one hour if it's hot outside).

Leaving meat to thaw at room temperature allows bacteria to multiply quickly, so that option isn’t safe. Washing only your hands ignores the surfaces and utensils that can spread contamination. Keeping food uncovered in the fridge exposes it to contaminants and can dry it out.