Food Safety Focus | Food Safety

Food Safety Focus

Hello All Team Members!

I hope this message finds all of you and your families safe and well,

It’s the holiday season once again and food safety is at the top of the list of what everyone wants this year (as always). Many times, cooking more than we’re typically used to cooking, can cause some real issues with food safety. So, let’s get started with several tips from the FDA that can make sure that everyone gets the gift of safe food this year.

According to the FDA, there are 4 simple steps to keeping food safe during the holidays.

Clean – Make sure to clean your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling any foods. Also, be sure to clean all counter spaces and utensils before and after use.

Separate – Use different cutting boards for raw meats, poultry, seafood and eggs. Also, keep raw foods away from foods that are ready to eat. Don’t use the same plate that held raw foods to serve foods that have been cooked. Raw foods can leave behind harmful bacteria on surfaces that could affect your prepared foods.

Cook – Make sure to cook all foods to correct internal temperature. Judging a book by its cover is never a good way to determine if food is ready. Use a food grade thermometer instead and know what the temperatures should be for the foods you’re cooking.

Chill – Leaving food out too long is never good. Refrigerate foods within 2 hours of cooking and use or freeze left-overs within 3 days from when they were cooked. Also make sure your refrigerator is set at or below 40 degrees F to keep bacteria from developing and making anyone sick.

I’d like to also say how much I appreciate each and every one of you. I hope all of you and your families have a wonderful and safe holiday season full of love and peace. As always, thank you for all you do to provide safe food for our families each and every Day!

Justin Straka – Food Safety Manager

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Author: Trish Metts