Home Food Safety

Here are the steps you can take to safe guard food at home and while shopping. Click on each of the coloured icons to learn more information and tips

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

Proper hand washing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of foodborne illness.
Wash your hands before you begin cooking and after you touch pets, change a diaper, cough or
sneeze, use the phone, sort dirty laundry, use the restroom, take out the garbage or handle dirty dishes.
Scrub for at least 20 seconds with warm water (not scalding hot), about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
Always wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and surfaces when switching tasks, such as handling raw meat/poultry/seafood and preparing vegetables.

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

CHILL: Refrigerate/freeze foods promptly. Cold temperatures can prevent most harmful bacteria from growing.

• Use the 2 Hour Rule in your home and while shopping – refrigerate or freeze all perishables within 2 hours of purchase or preparation. If the weather is hot (greater than 80°F/26°C), reduce that time to 1 hour and use a cooler for perishables.

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

Mix 1 tsp (5 mL) bleach with 3 cups (750 mL) water to sanitize drains, cutting boards, taps, sinks, counter tops, sponges, pot scrubbers and fridge door handles. Store your bleach solution in a labelled spray bottle.
Use gloves to protect hands, follow manufacturer’s instructions and wash hands immediately after cleaning.
Wash sponges with hot soapy water after every use. Change sponges, dishcloths, aprons and towels
often – machine wash in hot water. Replace sponges every few weeks.
Wash all fruits and vegetables, including those that you peel or cut, like melons, oranges or cucumbers.
Rinsing raw meat/poultry/seafood before cooking is NOT RECOMMENDED as this can spread bacteria to kitchen surfaces and other foods.

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

Practice the basic food safety tips.

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

If you are feeling unwell, don’t prepare food for others.
Practice the basic food safety tips such as using a separate clean tasting spoon each time you taste during food prep.

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

For general kitchen hygiene tips check out the Food Safety at Home resource. Follow the basic safe food handling tenants:

Cook – heat foods to proper temperatures
Chill – keep perishables cold, refrigerate at 4˚C at the most
Clean – wash your hands, and kitchen food prep surfaces and utensils well
Separate – keep cook foods separate from raw foods, especially raw seafood, meats/poultry and eggs

Food Safety Essentials | Covid-19

Wash your hands before and after handling each fresh food: produce, meats, eggs, cheeses and more.
Wash fresh produce well prior to eating especially if you are not cooking them.
Wash produce that you peel or cut before eating, foods like melons, oranges and cucumbers.
Keep produce separate from meat, poultry & seafood and their juices.
Don’t put washed produce back into their store-packaging without washing the packaging first with soapy water.
Never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs or raw unwashed fruits and vegetables.

Food Safety Essentials | Covid-19