Steps You Need to Know to Help Prevent Foodborne Illness; Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill Are a Must

In light of the recent foodborne illness outbreaks and e. Coli related meat recalls in your area, the Partnership for Food Safety Education today advised consumers that following four simple food safety steps can reduce their risk of getting sick.

``Illness-causing bacteria and other pathogens can be very serious; however, properly handling and preparing food can help you prevent illness,'' says the Partnership's Melanie Miller, a food safety expert and Executive Director of the Partnership. ``By practicing four simple food safety steps, you can help protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness,'' Miller said.

The Partnership, a national coalition of government, consumer and industry groups, provides food safety education efforts through its Fight BAC!(TM) campaign. Fight BAC! is designed to teach consumers about the importance of food safety in the home in an effort to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. The campaign provides safety tips, an education curriculum for use in schools and a Web site (http://www.fightbac.org) for finding additional resource information on food safety.

According to Miller, key food safety steps for consumers to use in the home are:

CLEAN
* Always wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after handling food. Keep your kitchen, dishes and utensils clean, too. Clean up kitchen surfaces with a clean cloth or paper towels; use a separate clean towel to dry just washed hands. Always serve food on clean plates.

SEPARATE
* Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from fruits, vegetables and other ready-to-eat foods so juices from raw meats, poultry and seafood will not cross-contaminate foods. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and seafood products and ready-to-eat foods. Always place cooked food on a clean plate.

COOK
* Use a food thermometer to determine that foods are cooked to safe internal temperatures. (whole poultry to 180.F, poultry breasts to 170.F and ground poultry to 165.F; and ground beef to 160.F. To test fish for doneness, make sure it is opaque and flaky. Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. If using eggs in recipes, cook to an internal temperature of at least 160.F.)

CHILL
* Don't let foods sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours; one hour if it is warmer than 90 degrees outside. Promptly refrigerate or put in iced cooler all leftovers.

For more information on safe food handling tips, consumers, educators and media are encouraged to visit the Fight BAC! Web site at http://www.fightbac.org .

Source: Partnership for Food Safety Education