We consume food multiple times a day. We can’t live without it, but it could also lead to disease due to contamination.  Studies estimate that processed food in the United States travels over 1,300 miles, and fresh produce travels over 1,500 miles, before being consumed. This means your food goes through multiple sets of hands before it ends up on your plate. With each stop, your food runs the risk of contamination.

               Bacteria can bind to food whenever the food touches a contaminated surface. These surfaces can include food processing equipment, storage bins, and countertops. The most common bacterial contamination is due to Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus aureus. These five bacteria strains cause the most foodborne illnesses in the United States according to the CDC.

               Following four steps of food safety: clean, separate, cook, chill, and wash your hands and surfaces often could reduce the possibility of foodborne illness within your home. Germs that cause food poisoning can survive in many places and spread around your kitchen. 

Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm or cold water before, during, and after preparing food and before eating is the first step to preventing disease. Always wash your hands after handling uncooked meat, chicken, seafood, flour, or eggs. Make sure to wash your utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item. Also, rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

Separate your foods, and don’t cross-contaminate. Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat food unless you keep them separate. When grocery shopping, keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods. Keep raw or marinating meats separate from all other foods in the refrigerator. Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood in sealed containers or packages so the juices don’t leak onto other foods. Use one cutting board or plate for raw meat, poultry, and seafood and a separate cutting board or plate for produce, bread, and other foods that won’t be cooked. Do not wash raw meat, poultry, or eggs, because washing these foods can spread germs because juices may splash onto your sink or counters.

Cook all food to the right temperature. Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature gets high enough to kill germs that can make you sick. The only way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer. You can’t tell if food is safely cooked by checking its color and texture (except for seafood). Some examples of proper temperature cooking are cooking ground beef to 160°F and chicken to 165°F.

Refrigerate leftovers immediately. Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F. Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below and know when to throw food out before it spoils. Refrigerate perishable food (meat, seafood, dairy, cut fruit, some vegetables, and cooked leftovers) within 2 hours.

Following the steps above could help prevent you or a loved one from foodborne illnesses. With restaurant preparation of foods being out of your control make sure to watch for symptoms of sickness. If you or a loved one do get food poisoning due to contaminated food, be sure to visit your primary care provider or urgent care for antibiotics. Another important step is to stay hydrated.