HA: How do I prevent cross contamination?
EM: Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from ready-to-eat foods. Ready-to-eat foods should be stored on the top shelves of your refrigerator. Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs should be stored on the bottom shelves, in spill proof containers to prevent cross contamination. Use separate cutting boards for different food groups: fruits and vegetables, raw meat, poultry and seafood.
HA: How do I prevent cross contamination?
EM: Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from ready-to-eat foods. Ready-to-eat foods should be stored on the top shelves of your refrigerator. Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs should be stored on the bottom shelves, in spill proof containers to prevent cross contamination. Use separate cutting boards for different food groups: fruits and vegetables, raw meat, poultry and seafood.
Wash cutting boards and utensils, such as knives or peelers, after every use to avoid cross contamination. Cross contamination can happen when the surfaces on which foods are prepared or served on are not clean.
HA: When do I refrigerate foods?
EM: Refrigerate perishable (fresh, spoilable) food within two hours. (If outdoor temperature is above 90°F, refrigerate within one hour.) Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below. Know when to throw foods out by labeling your foods with the preparation date or purchase date. Also remember to label any take-out food. This date will let you know when to throw older food out.
HA: Should I rinse pre-packaged washed produce?
EM: No, prepackaged washed produce should NOT be washed again due to the higher risk of cross contamination. Only rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water, a vegetable brush can be used if needed.
HA: Should I wash poultry foods, such as chicken?
EM: No, do not wash the raw chicken or any poultry foods. Instead, take the poultry product out of the package and put it directly into a cooking pan. The heat from cooking will destroy bacteria and other harmful microorganisms that might be present. Washing can result in unintentional cross contamination to foods or clean surfaces. Use a food thermometer to ensure poultry foods have reached the internal cooking temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
HA: How do you safely reheat leftovers?
EM: When reheating, be sure leftovers reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit by using a food thermometer. Reheat sauces, soups and gravies by bringing them to a rolling boil. Covering leftovers to reheat helps retain moisture, ensuring that food will heat all the way through. Arrange food items evenly on a covered microwave safe glass or ceramic dish, add some liquid if needed, cover and rotate. Be sure the covering is microwave safe and vent the cover to let the steam escape. The moist heat that is created will help destroy harmful bacteria and will ensure uniform reheating.
HA: Is it safe to reheat frozen leftovers without thawing and then refreeze previously refrozen leftovers?
EM: It is safe to reheat leftovers, either in a saucepan or microwave. Reheating will take longer if the food is not thawed first. Sometimes there are leftover "leftovers" and it is safe to refreeze previously frozen leftovers. If a large container of leftovers was frozen and only a portion of it is needed, thaw the leftovers in the refrigerator, remove the needed portion and refreeze the remainder of the thawed leftovers. Be sure to label the food with the new refreezing date.