Fridge & Freezer Facts - A Comprehensive Guide to Food Safety Resources

Food safety is an important topic; it helps to keep our families and communities healthy. Each year, millions of people experience food-borne illnesses, most do not even realize that the food caused them to become sick. Due to a lack of hygiene in commercial farms, restaurants and grocery chains food contamination and recalls have been on the rise. Food poisoning is not only temporarily unpleasant, but can cause organ damage and can be fatal in severe cases. It is our responsibility to learn the basics of food safety in order to recognize poor food safety when cooking dinner at home, or eating out. One of the simplest food safety rules is to keep hot foods and cold foods. Hot foods should be cooked to a temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit, this helps to kill bacteria.

Likewise, cold foods also have a proper storage temperature; most vegetables and refrigerated items should be kept at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This does not always kill bacteria, but slows its growth. It is also important to always wash your hands before preparing foods, this helps to cut down on cross contamination that occurs when bacteria is transferred by the person handling it; for example, bacteria will be transferred if one touches raw meat and then cuts raw vegetables for a salad. Thawing foods safely is and wash fruits and vegetables before serving are a few more good ways to decrease the levels of bacteria in foods. Here are more resources to help you practice food safety and better understand food safety requirements for your home, restaurant, and large-scale food service operation.

• Federal Food Safety Information: Find information on how to keep food safe, food poisoning and commercial inspections and compliance.
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration: The FDA introduces a food safety section with information about food safety programs, food allergens, food-borne illness and retail food protection.
• Keep Food Safe from Bacteria: Fight Bac is an organization dedicated to the practice of safe food handling through education, outreach and campaigns.
• Food Safety Education: The FSIS educates consumers about the importance of food safety with educational materials, fact sheets and the USDA Meat & Poultry hotline.
• Home Food Safety Tips: Here you will find simple tips to help keep your home kitchen safe and hygienic.
• Food Safety for Teens: A comprehensive guide for teens about why food safety matters, food preparation facts and how to prevent food-borne illnesses.
• Department of Health: Here you will find resources for various aspects of food safety, such as the prevention of food-borne illness and food safety on the go.
• Environmental Protection Agency: The EPA provides information on food bioterrorism regulations, seafood safety and pesticides in food.
• Food Safety During an Emergency: The Red Cross gives assistance on how to maintain food safety during an emergency.
• Kids World Food Safety: Food safety information and activities to help kids learn about the importance of food safety.
• NY Department of Health: Here you will find information on food handling, preparation, storage, as well as recall information and reports.
• European Food Information Council: The EUFIC provides a guide on how to freeze foods for quality and safety.
• Food and Agriculture: The California Department of Food and Agriculture presents information for milk and dairy food safety.
• Food Safety Facts and Advice: Learn the basics of food safety, such as washing your hands, cross-contamination, cooking temperatures, refrigeration and holiday food safety.
• Organic Consumers Association: The OCA provides disturbing facts on food safety and factory farming.
• Eggs & Food Safety: Learn about egg food safety, handling tips, food-borne illnesses and the safety concerns associated with eggs.
• The Association for Dressings & Sauces: Here you will find food safety information regarding mayonnaise and related dressings.
• Shell Eggs: The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provide food safety information about shell eggs.
• Food Safety for Preschoolers: Food safety basics aimed towards preschoolers from the United States Department of Agriculture.
• Health and Human Services: Here you will find food safety regulations for bottled water, dairy, food processing, retail, seafood and general food regulations.
• Food Safety Recommendations: Discussion about avoiding foods that contain harmful viruses, bacteria, toxins, parasites and contaminants.
• School Food Safety: Learn how to assess your school’s food safety and protect yourself from food borne illness.
• Food Recalls: Here you will find the official website for national food recalls and alerts in your area.
• Food Safety at Home: Find steps to keeping your home kitchen clean to help avoid unhealthy environments that cause food contaminants.
• After the Storm Food Safety: How to keep your food fresh and safe and what precautions to take after a storm.

Food safety is an extremely important subject that helps to keep our families safe from contaminated foods in restaurants, grocery chains, farms, butcher shops and even in our own home kitchens. The above resources will provide you will a wide range of information on food safety and its prevention.