Keeping Your Food Safe

University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Bulletin #4073

What You Can Do

When buying food:

• Buy only the amount you'll use (or freeze for later use) in a short time.
• Look at the freshness date.
• Don’t buy badly dented or rusty cans.
• Immediately refrigerate perishable foods or wrap and freeze to use later.

When preparing food:

• Wear glasses if you have them and turn up the lights.

  Bacteria grow in food left at room temperature. Some bacteria can make you sick.

• Clean everything that comes in contact with food in warm,
  soapy water:
  • Your hands
  • Utensils and dishes
  • Cutting boards
  • Counters
• Thaw food in the refrigerator or by microwaving on the
  defrost setting for a few minutes.
• Keep raw meat, poultry, and fish—and their juices—away from other foods.
• Keep hot foods hot, and  cold foods cold.

When handling leftovers at home:

• Refrigerate everything as soon as possible. Refrigerator temperature should be 40ºF or less.
• Divide large quantities into small containers, then put in the refrigerator or freezer.

When handling leftovers from eating out:

• Take leftovers only if you’re going straight home.
• Put leftovers in the refrigerator as soon as you get home.
• Don’t eat restaurant leftovers that have been left at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Generally, refrigerated leftovers may be kept for up to one week.

Food poisoning facts

• Each year, two million people get sick from food poisoning.
• Food poisoning happens because food isn’t handled properly.
• Bacteria that cause food poisoning are everywhere.
• You can’t always tell when food turns bad.
• Cooking or freezing won’t make food safe.
  

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  When in doubt, throw it out!

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Keeping food safe is important for older adults because. . .

You might have a harder time fighting off the effects of food poisoning. You may have poor vision and might not notice kitchen spills or spots, places where bacteria thrive. You may not want to throw out questionable food because it may seem wasteful.

Source: Cooperative Extension, University of Wisconsin

A Member of the University of Maine System
©2001, updated 2006
Published and distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Land Grant University of the state of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cooperative Extension and other agencies of the U.S.D.A. provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.

In cooperation with The Maine Nutrition Network, a partner with Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health.

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Last Modified: 08/12/08
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