Food Safety & Sanitation
Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Food poisoning symptoms vary with the type of food poisoning you have, but if you have any of the symptoms listed here, it could be a sign of food poisoning.
How to Wash Your Hands
Do you know how to wash your hands? Good hand washing is essential to prevent the spread of bacteria that cause food poisoning. Learn how to wash your hands.
Food Safety Quiz
Test your knowledge of food safety and sanitation with this food safety quiz.
All About Food Safety
Everything you need to know about food safety, causes of food spoilage, preventing food-related illness and facts about food-borne bacteria and pathogens.
When Food Goes Bad
Food spoilage and food poisoning are caused by tiny organisms called bacteria. Find out what conditions bacteria need in order to thrive — and how to stop them in their tracks.
Food Temperature Danger Zone
The best defense against food-borne illness is stopping bacteria from growing — or at least slowing them down. We do that by keeping food out of the Food Temperature Danger Zone, which is between 40°F and 140°F.
Cutting Boards and Food Safety
Cutting boards come in all shapes and sizes and are made of every type of material from wood and glass to plastic and acrylic. Find out which is better from a food safety standpoint.
Ground Beef and Food Safety
These safety guidelines will give you tips on the best ways to handle, prepare and store hamburger and ground beef to minimize your chances of a food-related illness.
Chicken, Poultry and Food Safety
These safety and food handling guidelines will give you tips on preparing and storing chicken and poultry. Learn how to freeze and thaw chicken, turkey or other poultry safely.
How NOT to Thaw a Frozen Turkey
Wondering how to thaw a turkey? There are four ways, and three of them are bad. Learn how NOT to thaw a frozen turkey, along with the one and only safe way to do it.
Color-Coded Cutting Boards
A good way to prevent spreading bacteria in your kitchen is to use separate, color-coded cutting boards for different ingredients such as poultry, fruits and vegetables, fish and so on.
Slow Cookers and Food Safety
Slow cookers are a wonderful convenience, but anytime you're dealing with low temperatures over long time periods, food safety is a concern. These simple slow-cooker safety guidelines will help keep you and your family safe.
Key Food Handling Temperatures
This table illustrates the Food Danger Zone and the other key temperatures for safe food handling.
Outdoor Grilling & Food Safety
Here are a few basic food safety techniques that can help you prevent foodborne illness when you're cooking on the grill.
Keeping Your Cooler Cool
Insulated coolers or ice chests keep food cold in the summer and help prevent food poisoning on picnics, cookouts and when grilling and barbecuing outdoors.
Outdoor Food Safety: 4 Quick Tips
When cooking outdoors, it's important to keep things clean and sanitary, especially when it's hot outside. Here are a few tips to help prevent food poisoning at picnics and cookouts.
Instant-Read Thermometer
So named because it gives a temperature reading very quickly, an instant-read thermometer is an essential tool for safe and sanitary food handling.
Lunch Boxes and Lunch Bag Safety
Bringing your own lunch to school or work can present certain food safety risks. Learn the safe way to prepare bag lunches for your children or yourself.
Hurricanes and Food Safety
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for a loss of power before a severe weather event, and what you can do afterward to keep your food safe.
Pasteurize Eggs in the Microwave
Need pasteurized eggs for making mayonnaise, hollandaise or Caesar salad dressing? You can safely make your own in the microwave by following these steps.
Cross-contamination
What is Cross Contamination? In the culinary arts, the term cross-contamination refers to what happens when bacteria ... Read the definition of Cross Contamination.