Get back to the basics of food safety
Print
EmailFollowing basic food safety practices can help you and your family avoid foodborne illness.
Food safety education is important for everyone because nearly 3,000 people die every year of poor food safety practices. The best way to keep you and your family safe from foodborne illness is to educate yourself and make changes in your food safety habits. The following are some ways you can become more knowledgeable about food safety.
Make basic food safety practices a habit
Basic food safety practices include washing hands, using a food thermometer to check proper internal temperature of cooked foods, cooling food correctly, storing food at proper temperatures and keeping raw and ready to eat foods separate.
Take a food safety class
Michigan State University Extension offers several different food safety classes, from safe food preservation to ServSafe for restaurant managers. Even if you’re not working in a restaurant or serving food at a non-profit event, these are all good classes that teach the basics of food safety. Taking a class is also the best way to get updates on new science and practices in food safety. Contact your local MSU Extension office to find food safety classes in your area or online.
Use science-based resources
Use reputable, science-based and tested resources as an important part of reducing your risk of foodborne illness. We have an unbelievable amount of information at our fingertips, but not all of it contains good, or safe advice when it comes to food safety. Social media sites may have recipes or advice that sounds fun or credible, but check if they are really safe. For the best and most up to date information, use websites that have “.edu” or “.gov” at the end of the URL. For example, foodsafety.gov or canr.msu.edu/safe_food_water.
Use technology to get updates
If you don’t have time to sift through hundreds of websites to find the information you’re looking for, consider using a food safety app on your phone or signing up for social media updates. An app called FoodKeeper helps you decide how to store various foods as well as how long they can be stored safely. You can also follow the MSU Extension Food Safety Team on Facebook and Instagram at ThinkFoodSafetyMI, or sign up for alerts about food recalls on the FDA website. Keep your family healthy and safe by practicing food safety year-round.
Do you want to learn more?
To help people be healthy at every stage of life, Michigan State University Extension delivers affordable, relevant, evidence-based education to serve the needs of adults, youth and families in urban and rural communities.
MSU Extension programs cover all areas of health, from buying and preparing nutritious, budget-friendly food to managing stress, and from food safety and preservation to living well with chronic conditions. MSU Extension has the information you need in a format you can use, in-person and online. Contact your local MSU Extension county office to find a class near you or browse our Food and Health program event calendar.
