FOOD SAFETY TIPS

Thawing
· Move frozen food from your freezer to the refrigerator and within 24-48 hours it should thaw, depending on the thickness of the food.
· NEVER thaw food at room temperature or leave it in a sink with standing water.
· Thaw food in your microwave ONLY IF you will be cooking the food right away.
· NEVER thaw food in the microwave and put it back in the refrigerator to be cooked at a later time.
Handling
· WASH YOUR HANDS before handling fruit or other food that does not require cooking.
· Use spatulas, tongs, wax paper or other kitchen tools to limit hand contact with food.
· ALWAYS wash your hands after touching raw food and before moving from one type of food to another.
Cooking
· Use a metal-stem thermometer that measures from 0-220°F to test hot and cold food temperatures.
· Keep hot foods hot at 135°F or higher and keep cold food cold at 41°F or less to prevent germs from growing on your food.
Cooling
· Use shallow pans, bowls or trays. Food will cool faster if it is in smaller portions or thin layers.
· Cut large pieces into smaller pieces.
· Do not cover your food with plastic wrap or foil until it is cooled to room temperature.
Storage
· Use your metal-stem thermometer to check your refrigerator temperature. Food keeps best at 41°F or lower.
· Throw away any perishables (food that can spoil) that is left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
· At 90°F or higher, throw away perishable food after 1 hour.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT:
Cuyahoga County Board of Health –  www.ccbh.net
United States Food & Drug Administration –  www.fda.gov/food Reach out to marcs@marcs.com with any questions.