Spring cleaning doesn’t stop at the typical household chores. Food safety is a very important part of keeping your family healthy and happy! There are four basic steps to keeping food safe for you and your family all year long.
STEP 1:
CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often
- To keep bacteria at bay always wash your hands before and after handling food. Hands should be washed with warm water and soap for 20 seconds or more!
- Tip: Practice this with your family by washing your hands together while singing your favorite song. Any song longer than 20 seconds will do and you can choose a different song each time.
- Wash all kitchen surfaces including countertops, cutting boards, and utensils often with warm soapy water. This reduces cross-contamination between surfaces.
- Tip: Wash all countertops before you begin. This will force you to clear all surfaces and allow you a fresh clean space to begin preparing food.
- Rinse produce under warm running water including anything with a skin that will be eaten such as apples and cucumbers.
- Tip: Use a clean scrub brush on firm-skinned fruits and vegetables such as potatoes.
- Keep shopping bags, backpacks, and other objects off of surfaces used to prepare or serve food to reduce exposure to bacteria.
- Tip: Put all groceries and other objects away before preparing food. This will allow you to stay clean and organized so you can focus on safe food preparation.
-Written by Alicia R. Leitch, M.S. Nutrition Educator
Sources:
Choosemyplate.gov. 2020. All About The Vegetable Group | Choosemyplate. [online] Available at: <https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/vegetables> [Accessed 29 April 2020].
cdc.gov. 2020. Food Safety Home Page | CDC. [online] Available at:<https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/index.html> [Accessed 5 May 2020].
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