Your Gateway to Food Safety Information
Get the latest news, alerts, and tips on safely handling and storing food to prevent food poisoning.
Spotlight
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People At Risk
Anyone can get food poisoning (foodborne illness), but certain groups of people are more likely to get seriously ill. Are you or your loved ones in one of those groups?
- Outbreak: Listeria and Enoki Mushrooms
- 4 Steps to Food Safety
- Coronavirus FAQs about Food Products
- Bacteria and Viruses
- Protect Yourself: Wash Your Hands Often
- Food Safety and COVID-19
Tips
Cold Food Storage
Follow our guidelines for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat.
Salmonella and Eggs
Eggs are nutritious, but they can also make you sick with Salmonella. To avoid getting sick, use pasteurized eggs and always wash your hands after coming into contact with raw eggs.
Food Safety by Type of Food
Some foods are more frequently associated with food poisoning than others. It is especially important to handle these foods properly. Use these tips.
Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures Charts
Use a food thermometer to check whether meat has reached a safe internal temperature that is hot enough to kill harmful germs that cause food poisoning.
4 Simple Steps to Food Safety
Separate
Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread illness-causing bacteria to ready-to-eat foods, so keep them separate.
Cook
Cook to the right temperature. Ensure that foods are cooked safely by always using a food thermometer.
Chill
Refrigerate promptly. Bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickest between 40°F and 140°F.