| If you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing | | | | of food and use a separate cutting board for meat |
| the joys of food poisoning than you haven’t lived. | | | | and vegetables. Do not use the same utensils or dish |
| That’s just a joke, actually! Getting food poisoning | | | | ware with uncooked or other foods. Keep it out of |
| is no laughing matter, though. I can tell you from | | | | the danger zone (40 F and 140F) by cooking it |
| personal experience that is no fun! I had it a few | | | | thoroughly. Check the internal temperature of meat |
| years ago from under cooked ground turkey meat | | | | with a clean thermometer and make sure it’s at |
| and I was sick to my stomach and dizzy for a good | | | | least 140 F. It is not good enough to just eye ball it to |
| day. I had to leave work, walk home and almost | | | | see if it’s brown. |
| fainted on the sidewalk. I couldn’t even see | | | | |
| straight! Read on to learn more about how you can | | | | Keep food cold and chill leftovers quickly in refrigerator |
| prevent it from ever happening to you or a loved | | | | at 40 F or below or a freezer at 0 or below. |
| one. | | | | Refrigerate or freeze food within 2 hours or 1 hour if |
| | | | | the outside temperature is 90 degrees or above. |
| Always wash your hands and everything else that | | | | Thaw frozen food in refrigerator, rather than the |
| comes in contact with food. This includes utensils, | | | | counter. If you need it quicker, thaw it under running |
| cutting boards, countertops, table ware, and cook | | | | cold water or in the microwave and cook |
| ware. Wash hands with warm water for at least 20 | | | | immediately. If you do get food poisoning after taking |
| seconds before handling food, after handling uncooked | | | | the necessary precautions, the nausea and vomiting |
| meat/produce and wash between preparing each | | | | should go away within a day or two. Seek medical |
| type of food. Separate raw foods from other kinds | | | | attention if you still feel ill after 2 days. |