Food Safety Guide

About 1 in every 6 Americans will come down with a foodborne disease in any given year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are an estimated 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses in the United States every year according to the CDC. Those cases result in more than 128,000 annual hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Bacteria and viruses are the most common causes of food poisoning, which includes any illness or disease you may get from eating contaminated food. Food safety practices in the home address ways to stop or destroy these threats before you sit down at the table.

You can get food poisoning from any type of food. The CDC estimates that leafy vegetables cause more foodborne illnesses than any other type of food — about 22 percent of all cases. But poultry-related foodborne illnesses cause the most deaths — 19 percent. Dairy products rank second for both illnesses and deaths — about 14 and 10 percent respectively.

Food poisoning symptoms can vary depending on the type of foodborne disease. Most people who get a foodborne illness will recover without medical treatment. But people who experience serious symptoms need to seek help immediately.

Food poisoning symptoms can show up in as little as 20 minutes for some germs or may take as long as 4 weeks for others.

Certain people are at higher risk of food poisoning based on their age and medical conditions.

Foodborne illnesses can be more serious or even fatal for pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems.

These people should only eat meat, poultry and seafood cooked to the minimum safe internal temperature. They should avoid raw sprouts that can carry harmful bacteria and pay special attention to safe food storage and preparation rules. People at higher risk should also reheat deli meats to kill Listeria.

There are four food safety practices to prevent foodborne illnesses or food poisoning: clean, separate, cook and chill. These four steps are part of Fight BAC!, a nonprofit consumer-oriented food safety campaign.

These four food safety steps work together to protect food from contamination and to destroy harmful contaminants.

Bacteria and viruses can spread through your kitchen and onto countertops, cutting boards and utensils. Anytime you touch any of these items, you risk getting them on your hands and moving them into your food. This is called cross-contamination.

It’s important to wash your hands with soap frequently when handling food. You should wash before handling food and utensils, after handling foods like raw chicken or meat and after touching any surface or used dish. You should also wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or touching your face, hair or clothing.

You should thoroughly rinse all fruits and vegetables. Rinse them under running water immediately before preparing them. Use a produce brush under running water to scrub firm produce such as cucumbers or carrots.

Wipe up spills as soon as they happen and frequently clean any surface that comes in contact with food. Clean both the inside and outside of appliances, paying special attention to knobs, handles and buttons where hand contact can allow cross-contamination.

Separating foods as you prepare them will prevent contamination that may be in raw foods from getting in food that is ready to eat.

This step begins in the grocery store. Put your raw meat, poultry and seafood in separate plastic bags while shopping to keep potential contaminants from reaching other food in your cart or bag.

When you get home, store raw meat, poultry and seafood below ready-to-eat food in your refrigerator. This can prevent leaks from cross-contaminating your food.

When preparing food, use a clean cutting board for produce and a different one for raw meat, poultry or seafood. And never put cooked food on the same cutting board or plate used for raw food.

Cooking kills harmful microbes in meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. Each should be cooked to its individual safe minimum temperature.

Looks can be deceiving, but a food thermometer will ensure that your food is properly cooked and safe from harmful germs. Always measure near the center and in the thickest part of the food. Remember to clean food thermometers after use with hot, soapy water followed by a thorough rinsing.

Foods are no longer safe to eat if they’ve been between 40 and 140 degrees for more than two hours. Keep refrigerated items below 40 degrees and frozen foods below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Poultry, fish and ground meat should be cooked or frozen within two days. Other meats should be cooked within 3 to 5 days. Frozen foods can be kept for up to six months.

As soon as frozen foods get above 40 degrees, any bacteria in the food can start multiplying. You should thaw frozen foods inside the refrigerator, while in a pan to catch drips. Microwaves can safely thaw your food, too. You can also thaw food by putting it in a leak-proof bag and immersing it in cold water, but be sure to change the water every 30 minutes.

You should also think about food safety when shopping, saving leftovers or dining out. There are clues to look for that can prevent you from buying or eating contaminated food. And there are steps you can take to keep from coming down with food poisoning from leftovers or an evening out.

Always check the expiration dates on food packages. The “sell by” date is how long the food can be on the shelf before it’s sold. The “use by” date tells you when it’s no longer safe to eat.

Make sure frozen foods feel frozen and refrigerated foods are cold when you buy them. Buy frozen or refrigerated food after your nonperishables. They need to be in your refrigerator within two hours of putting them into your cart. That time limit drops to one hour if the temperature is 90 or above.

Never buy food products with torn or damaged packaging or eggs that are unrefrigerated or cracked.

Raw and undercooked foods increase your risk of getting a foodborne illness.

The bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause food poisoning don’t change the look or smell of food. Your best protection is to freeze or properly cook foods to kill harmful pathogens.

Cooking foods to the minimum safe temperature and using only pasteurized milk and eggs when preparing foods can eliminate many risky eating behaviors.

If you choose to eat raw seafood, you can reduce your risk by choosing foods that were frozen. Freezing will kill parasites, but it doesn’t kill microbes.

Several state and local health department websites publish restaurant health inspection scores for the public. Many also have their own apps that let you check a restaurant’s health score quickly. And the Yelp app started including health inspection information in a handful of cities starting in 2018 with plans to eventually include information on hundreds of thousands of restaurants across the U.S.

When you walk into a restaurant check to see that the table, floors and cutlery are clean. If they aren’t, the kitchen might not be clean either. Always send back food that arrives raw or undercooked.

If you take your leftovers, remember to put them in the fridge within two hours, just like with your groceries. And if those restaurant leftovers are still in your refrigerator after three or four days, throw them out.

Doctors and health authorities are unable to pin the cause of 80 percent of foodborne illnesses on an exact bacteria, virus, chemical or other substance. But about 20 percent of foodborne illnesses are caused by just 31 different pathogens. And most of those identified cases are due to just five.

Some germs don’t cause as many illnesses, but are more likely to lead to hospitalization. These include E. coli, Listeria, clostridium botulinum – which causes botulism – and vibrio.

Food recalls happen if there is evidence that a particular food can make people sick. The food producer usually orders the recall when the farm or company discovers a problem. Problems can include discovery of viruses or bacteria, foreign objects like metal, glass or rubber in food products or allergens, such as peanuts or dairy, that are not listed on a food’s label.

Food recalls happen frequently in the U.S. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulate safety in the food supply. In some instances either or both agencies may also request a food recall if contamination turns food into a harmful product.

Foodborne outbreaks happen when two or more people come down with the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink or from the same food service operation such as a restaurant or food processing company.

When public health or regulatory authorities discover an outbreak, they move quickly to identify a cause and a source to prevent more people from getting the same illness.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tracks select outbreak investigations by year on its website.