Cooking is fun, and even more so if you can do it together with kids. However, it’s important to create a safe environment to prevent possible injuries. Below are some tips and reminders for keeping your kitchen working area safe!
1. Make sure to wash your hands before you start! Hands are covered in germs that can get into the food you are working with and make people sick. Wash with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to get both fronts and backs of hands as well as between fingers and under fingernails.
2. Beware of cross contamination. Raw meat can carry pathogens (bad germs!) that can make people really sick. Make sure that cutting boards used for raw meat are labeled and only used for this purpose. Always be sure to sanitize all cutting utensils and surfaces that come in contact with raw meat. Also, be sure to wash hands after handling raw meat.
3. Make sure to cook meat to the correct internal temperature. High temperatures kill the germs found in and on meats. See the table below to see what temperature each type of meat should be cooked to.
4. When carrying knives, be sure to hold them with the point down so you don’t stab the wrong thing! While cutting, make sure fingers are out of the way and the blade is slicing away from your body.
5. When handling hot pans use oven mitts, not dish towels! Oven mitts are made to handle the heat from the dishes so it doesn’t get to your skin! Also make sure that you can pick up the dish—if it’s too heavy ask for help! Hot liquid or food on your skin can burn fast and cause deep burns.
6. Turn pot handles towards the back of the stove while cooking to avoid accidental spills.
7. If you are using the microwave, make sure the dish going in is made to go into the microwave. Tinfoil and metal do not belong!
8. Lift lids away from you so the steam doesn’t burn you. Steam is hotter than boiling water and can cause painful burns.
9. Clean up as you go! This not only keeps the kitchen clean and leaves less mess later, it also assures that you don’t slip on spills and you always have a place to put hot pans down.
10. If you don’t know, ask! Don’t try to figure something out on your own if you are not sure, you may put yourself in a dangerous situation.
11. If you have leftovers, be sure to pack them up and put them in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresh. Eat leftovers in the fridge within 3-5 days and in the freezer within 2 months for maximum freshness.
Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures
Use this chart and a food thermometer to ensure that meat, poultry, seafood, and other cooked foods reach a safe minimum internal temperature. Remember, you can’t tell whether meat is safely cooked by looking at it. Any cooked, uncured red meats – including pork – can be pink, even when the meat has reached a safe internal temperature.
Why the Rest Time is Important
After you remove meat from a grill, oven, or other heat source, allow it to rest for the specified amount of time. During the rest time, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys harmful germs.
Category |
Food |
Temperature (°F) |
Rest Time |
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures |
Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb |
160 |
None |
Turkey, Chicken |
165 |
None |
|
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb |
Steaks, roasts, chops |
145 |
3 minutes |
Poultry |
Chicken & Turkey, whole |
165 |
None |
Poultry breasts, roasts |
165 |
None |
|
Poultry thighs, legs, wings |
165 |
None |
|
Duck & Goose |
165 |
None |
|
Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird) |
165 |
None |
|
Pork and Ham |
Fresh pork |
145 |
3 minutes |
Fresh ham (raw) |
145 |
3 minutes |
|
Precooked ham (to reheat) |
140 |
None |
|
Eggs & Egg Dishes |
Eggs |
Cook until yolk and white are firm |
None |
Egg dishes |
160 |
None |
|
Leftovers & Casseroles |
Leftovers |
165 |
None |
Casseroles |
165 |
None |
|
Seafood |
Fin Fish |
145 or cook until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. |
None |
Shrimp, lobster, and crabs |
Cook until flesh is pearly and opaque. |
None |
|
Clams, oysters, and mussels |
Cook until shells open during cooking. |
None |
|
Scallops |
Cook until flesh is milky white or opaque and firm. |
None |
Source: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html