You read all the newspaper accounts of food borne illness, but the good news is that a few simple precautions can keep your kitchen and meals safe from the spoils of bacteria. These steps may sound like unnecessary time drains but in the long run they may save weeks of recovery time.
When to shop: If possible, go grocery shopping as your last errand before you head home. If you must run other errands, put a cooler in your car and buy a bag of ice to keep the perishables chilled until you can put them in the refrigerator. In fact, in hotter climates, you need a cooler in the car even if shopping is your last errand of the day. Forty-five minutes in summertime traffic can render meat rancid, milk spoiled and butter liquid.
While you're shopping: Put meats and fish in plastic bags before you place them in your cart to prevent them from dripping on vegetables or pantry items.
When you get home: Get the perishables in your refrigerator or freezer ASAP. Never store eggs, milk and the like on the door of your refrigerator where temperature can swing drastically. We recommend you set your refrigerator for 40°F, but save the door for ketchup and convenience products.
Freezing: Keep your freezer at 2°F for safe frozen-food storage.
Defrosting: Defrost foods in the refrigerator or the microwave, not on the counter, to deter bacterial growth.
Before you start cooking: Wash your hands with soap under warm water for at least 20 seconds (about as long as it takes to sing the chorus of "Jingle Bells"). Then rinse off fruits and vegetables under cool running water.
Poultry, meat, fish: Do not rinse off poultry, meat or fish. The bacterial contaminants can only be killed at temperatures above 160°F, far hotter than the water in our homes. Rinsing only allows for random splashes and thus cross-contamination on counters and cabinets.
Unwrap meats and fish in the sink and leave them in their container or paper until you're ready to use them. Immediately throw out the container or paper; never reuse it.
Avoid cross-contamination by having at least two cutting boards, one for the meat or fish and another for fresh produce.
When you're cleaning up: Wash plastic cutting boards in the dishwasher; wash your knives and counters in hot, soapy water. An occasional thorough once-over on the counters with a kitchen disinfectant spray is a good idea.
