Meat Safety

Directions

1. More and more Americans are becoming concerned about ensuring the food they eat is safe. The American Dietetic Association wants consumers to know that they can take an active role in safeguarding their food by practicing proper food-handling procedures. Below are tips that will help you get your meat safely from the grocery aisle to the kitchen table.
2. Buying
3. Always look for the Safe Food Handling label on packages
4. The label indicates that the meat has been processed safely and will give you tips for proper food handling and cooking
5. Make sure the meat is tightly wrapped
6. Pick up the meat last and ask to have it bagged separately from other groceries
7. Storing
8. Always handle meats with clean, dry hands
9. Store meat in the coldest part of the refrigerator or in the refrigerator's meat bin
10. Use fresh, raw meats stored in the refrigerator within 3 to 4 days of purchase.
11. Throw away ground meats, sausage and organ meats after 2 days
12. Freeze meats in freezer-safe wrap at 0°
13. Cooked meats should be eaten or frozen within 3 to 4 days
14. Preparing
15. Wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds before, during and after handling raw meat
16. Use two separate cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination
17. Use one for raw meats and the other for fruits and vegetables
18. Color-coded cutting boards can help you remember which is which
19. Defrost meats in the refrigerator or in the microwave by using the defrost setting--never on the counter
20. Cook meat that has been thawed in the microwave immediately
21. Do not re-freeze thawed meat
22. Use a meat thermometer to cook to proper temperatures
23. Cook ground meats to 160°F
24. Beef, veal and lamb should reach 145°F
25. Cook pork to 160°F
26. Reheat leftovers to 165°F
27. Always marinate in the refrigerator
28. If you want to re-use marinade that has touched raw meat, always bring it to a boil first
29. Cooked meats should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours