Your place · Cooking on a budget
Food safety basics
Wash hands for 20 seconds. Use one cutting board for raw meat and another for everything else. Check doneness with a thermometer: 165°F for chicken and leftovers, 160°F for ground meat, 145°F for steaks and fish. Refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), keep the fridge at 40°F or below, and eat leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Never thaw meat on the counter.
What to know
- Wash your hands the right way. Use plain soap and water, and scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails for at least 20 seconds. Humming "Happy Birthday" twice is about right. Source: FoodSafety.gov Wash before, during and after cooking, and after touching raw meat, raw eggs or garbage, or using the toilet. Source: FoodSafety.gov
- Keep raw meat away from everything else. Use one cutting board for raw meat, poultry and seafood, and another for produce and anything that won't be cooked. Use separate plates for raw and cooked food. Source: FoodSafety.gov Bag raw meat separately at the store, and store it at home in containers or sealed, leakproof bags. Source: FoodSafety.gov
- Don't rinse raw meat, poultry or eggs. Washing them spreads germs around your sink and counter. Source: FoodSafety.gov Do rinse fruits and vegetables under running water, without soap. Pre-washed bagged greens don't need washing again. Source: FoodSafety.gov
- Cook to a safe temperature, and check it. Put a thermometer in the thickest part of the food, not touching bone or fat. Source: FoodSafety.gov Use the temperature chart below.
- Keep hot food hot. Food sitting out should stay at 140°F or above. Source: FoodSafety.gov Bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F, the "danger zone". Source: USDA
- Refrigerate within 2 hours. Never leave perishable food out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F, like in a hot car or at a summer picnic. Source: FoodSafety.gov Split big batches, like a pot of soup, into shallow containers so they cool quickly. Hot food can go straight into the fridge. Source: USDA
- Set your fridge and freezer. The fridge should be 40°F or below and the freezer 0°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to check. Source: FoodSafety.gov
- Thaw safely. Thaw in the fridge, in cold water, or in the microwave. Never on the counter. Source: USDA A pound of ground meat or chicken breasts takes a full day in the fridge. In cold water, keep it in a leak-proof bag and change the water every 30 minutes, and a 1-pound package may thaw in an hour or less. Source: USDA Cook food right after thawing it in cold water or the microwave. You can also cook meat straight from frozen. Source: USDA
- Eat leftovers within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them. Frozen leftovers stay safe indefinitely but taste best within 3 to 4 months. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Source: USDA
Safe cooking temperatures
Measure in the thickest part with a food thermometer. From FoodSafety.gov's chart. Source: FoodSafety.gov
| Food | Cook to |
|---|---|
| Chicken and turkey, all cuts, including ground | 165°F |
| Leftovers and casseroles | 165°F |
| Ground beef, pork and sausage (burgers) | 160°F |
| Egg dishes (frittata, quiche) | 160°F |
| Beef, pork or lamb steaks, roasts and chops | 145°F, then rest 3 minutes |
| Fish | 145°F, or until it's no longer see-through and flakes with a fork |
| Shrimp, crab, scallops | Until pearly or white and opaque |
| Eggs | Until yolk and white are firm |
How long it keeps in the fridge
At 40°F or below. From FoodSafety.gov's cold storage chart and USDA. Source: FoodSafety.govUSDA
| Food | Fridge |
|---|---|
| Raw ground meat or ground poultry | 1 to 2 days |
| Raw chicken or turkey | 1 to 2 days |
| Raw steaks, chops, roasts | 3 to 5 days |
| Raw fish | 1 to 3 days for fatty fish like salmon |
| Lunch meat, opened or deli-sliced | 3 to 5 days |
| Hot dogs, opened | 1 week |
| Cooked leftovers, soups and stews | 3 to 4 days |
| Raw eggs in the shell | 3 to 5 weeks |
Freezing at 0°F keeps food safe indefinitely. Freezer times on charts are for quality only.
See a doctor if you have
If it doesn't work
- If food has been sitting out and you aren't sure for how long, throw it out. When in doubt, throw it out, and never taste food to decide whether it's safe. Source: FoodSafety.gov
- If you forgot to thaw dinner, cook it from frozen. It takes longer, but it's safe. Source: USDA
- If you have food poisoning, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, and watch for the warning signs above. Source: CDC
Good to know
It's common
An estimated 1 in 6 Americans get sick from food poisoning each year, and 128,000 are hospitalized. Source: FoodSafety.gov
Symptoms can take days
Some germs make you sick within hours, others take days, so the last thing you ate isn't always the culprit. Source: CDC
Look anything up
FoodSafety.gov's cold storage chart links to the USDA's FoodKeeper, with storage tips for more than 650 foods and drinks. Source: FoodSafety.gov
Keep eggs inside
Keep eggs in their carton on a main shelf, not in the door. Source: FoodSafety.gov
Sources
- FoodSafety.gov 4 steps to food safety
- FoodSafety.gov Safe minimum internal temperatures
- FoodSafety.gov Cold food storage chart
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Danger zone (40°F to 140°F)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Leftovers and food safety
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service The big thaw: safe defrosting methods
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Food poisoning symptoms
- FoodSafety.gov Food safety during a power outage
Lesson H2.4 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed.
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