Food Safety
During pregnancy, you have an increased risk of foodborne illness( food poisoning). It is important that food is handled, stored and prepared properly to avoid becoming ill.
Preparing Food
Follow these safe practices when preparing your food:
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after handling food.
• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables.
• Prepare raw meat separately from other foods, including separate utensils and equipment( such as cutting boards).
• Do not wash raw meat.
• Always cook meat thoroughly, heating to an internal minimum temperature of 160 ° F / 71 ° C.
• Wash utensils with hot, soapy water.
Storing Food
Always follow recommended guidelines for food storage.
• Store each food item in sealed, air-tight containers or bags.
• Store each food separately to avoid cross-contamination.
• Don’ t leave food out at room temperature. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers right away.
• Label and date foods before storing.
• Cook or reheat leftovers hot enough to eliminate pathogens.
• Do not store leftovers for more than a few days. United States Department of Agriculture( USDA) provides safe storage limits for specific foods on their website.
• If you’ re not sure how long an item has been stored, or food looks, tastes, or smells odd in any way, throw it away.
Preview
Knowing where your food comes from is also an important step to staying safe. Food recalls are sometimes issued as a result of outbreaks of E. coli, salmonella or other contaminants. Be sure to pay attention to food recalls and be aware if any of your food purchases are affected by recalls.
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