Facts on Keeping Food Safe

The object of food safety is to limit one or more of the factors that bacteria thrive on. Bacteria are naturally present in the environment, but food handling errors made during preparation and cooking allow them to multiply into large enough numbers to cause illness. To control the bacteria that may be present, follow these food safety rules.

• Practice safe food handling procedures.
• Keep hands, utensils and cutting boards clean at all times.
• Keep juices from raw foods away from cooked foods.
• Cook or serve food as soon as possible after removing it from storage.
• Serve hot foods HOT, and cold foods COLD.
• Never leave leftovers or other perishable food unrefrigerated for more than two hours.
• Refrigerate leftover food in shallow, covered containers immediately after a meal.

Potentially dangerous foods
What foods are potentially dangerous food safety-wise? Perishable foods provide good conditions for the growth of bacteria at room temperature or warmer. They include:

• Poultry, raw, or cooked.
• Meat, including ham and cold cuts.
• Fish.
• Gravy and broths.
• Foods containing eggs, raw, or cooked.
• Salads made from eggs, meat, chicken, or fish.
• Milk.
• Creamed foods.
• Puddings, custard.
• Cream filled pies, puffs, or cakes.
• Cooked vegetables.

Any of the above foods in the following forms are perishable as well:

• Dried and rehydrated.
• Frozen and thawed.
• Canned and opened.

Back to top

© Copyright (2002) Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907. All Rights Reserved.