Food Safety Guidelines 

The Four Core Steps

• Clean: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Clean utensils, cutting boards, and counters with hot, soapy water. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water.

• Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods to stop cross-contamination. Use separate cutting boards.

• Cook: Use a food thermometer to check internal temperatures. Color and texture are not reliable signs of doneness.

• Chill: Put leftovers in the fridge within two hours (or one hour if it is over 90°F outside). Keep the refrigerator below 40°F.

Temperature Danger Zone

• Bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F.

• Never leave perishable foods in this temperature range for more than two hours.

Higher-Risk Groups

• Children under 5

• Pregnant women

• Adults 65 and older

• People with weakened immune systems

Guidance and public health updates are available via the CDC Food Safety page.

Cook 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).

Use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature. Learn how to place the thermometer correctly in different food to get an accurate reading.

Safe internal temperatures for different foods

Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork, including fresh ham

145°F (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)

Fish with fins

145°F or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork

Ground meats, such as beef and pork

160°F

All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey

165°F

Leftovers and casseroles

165°F

Global Scale of Illness: An estimated 1 in 9 people worldwide fall ill every year after eating contaminated food, resulting in over 1.5 million deaths annually. 

World Health Organization (WHO)

The "Danger Zone" Temperature: Bacteria multiply the fastest between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C). Perishable foods should never sit in this zone for more than two hours (or one hour if ambient temperatures exceed 90°F). 

The Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals

Vulnerable Populations Face the Highest Risk: Children under 5 years old, adults aged 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems suffer the most severe complications from foodborne illnesses. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC (.gov)

Appearance is Not a Reliable Guide: Unsafe food can still look, smell, and taste completely normal. Color and texture are not reliable indicators that meat or poultry is safely cooked. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (.gov)

Handwashing Prevents Most Outbreaks: Proper hand hygiene—scrubbing hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food—can prevent a vast majority of foodborne illness transmissions. 

The Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals

Rinsing Raw Poultry Spreads Germs: Washing raw chicken or meat in the sink does not kill bacteria; instead, it splashes invisible juices and harmful pathogens across your counters, sink, and ready-to-eat foods. 

Cross-Contamination Requires Separate Tools: Raw meats, poultry, and seafood should always be kept separate from produce and ready-to-eat items, including using dedicated cutting boards and utensils. 

Use a Food Thermometer: The only accurate way to verify that meat, poultry, and fish are safe to eat is by measuring their internal temperature with a food thermometer (e.g., poultry must reach 165°F / 74°C). 

Refrigerator and Freezer Standards: To keep food out of the danger zone, refrigerators should be maintained at or below 40°F (4°C), and freezers should be set at or below 0°F (-18°C). 

Food Safety is a Shared Responsibility: Keeping the food supply safe requires coordinated action across governments, producers, supply chains, and individual consumers. 

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