Practiceof

the Basics
of Food
Safety To To
Prevent
Foodborne Illness
Practice the Basics
Food
Safety
Prevent
Foodborne Illness

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children:

Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Help keep kids healthy by keeping foods safe. Young children are especially at risk for having foodborne
illnesses because their bodies and immune systems are still developing. You can help prevent
foodborne illness in the children you care for by following these four simple steps to food safety.*

CLEAN: Keep food, and everything that touches it, clean.

SEPARATE: Separate foods at every step of food handling,

from purchase to preparation to serving.

COOK: Cook foods to proper internal temperatures,

as measured by a food thermometer.

CHILL: Keep foods out of the "danger zone" of 40 F to 140 F.

CLEAN
Everything that touches food should be cleanstarting with your hands.

Make Handwashing a Habit

Wash your hands with warm water and soap, scrubbing all parts of the hands,
including under your fingernails, for at least 20 seconds before and after
preparing, serving, handling, and eating food. When handling food, wash
your hands when you switch between tasks, like after handling raw meat
and before handling fresh produce or other ready-to-eat foods that do not
require further cooking (like bread, cheese, or cooked chicken).

Also wash your hands after going to the bathroom, changing diapers,
coughing, sneezing, touching animals, handling garbage, or tending to
someone who is sick or injured. Dry hands with a clean paper towel, and
use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open doors.

20 Seconds

Assist children with washing their hands before meals as well as before and
after helping with food preparation. Help children wash their hands after
going to the bathroom.

* The food safety guidelines contained in this tip sheet are based on recommendations found on the Web site
www.foodsafety.gov. Providers should check with their State agency or sponsoring organization for the
specific food safety requirements in the communities they serve.

more 'clean' tips on next page ...

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

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Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

... more 'clean' tips

Keep It Clean

Always start preparing food with clean cutting boards, pots, pans, utensils, and counter tops.

Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each
food item and before you go on to the next. This is especially important before and after preparing
raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.

Use clean towels or paper towels to wipe kitchen surfaces, counter tops, sinks, and tables. Dirty
towels and sponges often collect and spread bacteria, instead of removing them. TIP: To kill germs,
put damp sponges in the microwave for 1 minute on full power or through a full wash-dry cycle in the
dishwasher. Use new sponges frequently.

After washing and drying, you may choose to sanitize the food preparation surfaces with a solution of
1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Spray surfaces or immerse
cutting boards and utensils with the bleach solution, and let surfaces air dry.

Do not allow books, backpacks, or other items to be placed on tables or counters where food will be
prepared or served. Keep pets and other animals off of tables and counters too.

Clean and Prepare

Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables just before peeling, eating, cutting, or cooking.
Under running water, rub produce briskly with your hands and scrub
firm-skinned fruits and vegetables with a clean produce brush to remove dirt
and germs. Some vegetables, like lettuce, celery, and broccoli, should be
broken apart before rinsing to remove dirt between the different layers.

Before opening cans of food, wash the top of the can under clean running water. Then, dry the can with
a clean cloth or paper towel.

Do not rinse raw fish, seafood, meat, and poultry. Bacteria in these raw juices can splash and spread to
other foods and surfaces. Cooking foods thoroughly will kill harmful bacteria.

SEPARATE
Separate foods that are ready to eat from those that are raw or that might contain harmful germs. Be
sure to separate foods at each step of food handling. Keep fruits and vegetables away from raw meat,
poultry, and seafood while buying, storing, or preparing them.

Purchase and Store

56

Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in plastic bags when food shopping to prevent juices from leaking
or dripping. Separate them from other foods in your grocery cart and bags.

Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood on a plate, or in a container or sealed plastic bag on the bottom
shelf of the refrigerator, so juices dont drip onto other foods.
more 'separate' tips on next page ...
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

... more 'separate' tips

Prepare and Serve

Use one clean cutting board for fresh produce or ready-to-eat food items and a separate
one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Label the cutting boards or use different colored
cutting boards so there is no confusion. Always wash cutting boards in hot,
soapy water in between uses.

Use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods. Never place cooked
food on a dirty plate or cutting board that held raw meat, poultry, seafood,
or eggs.

COOK
Food is safely cooked when a food thermometer indicates the food has reached a safe enough internal
temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that causes foodborne illness.
Never thaw foods on the kitchen counter or at room temperature. Defrost foods on the bottom shelf
of the refrigerator overnight. Another option is to place food that is either packaged or contained
within an air-tight bag or container under cold, running tap water until fully thawed. Only a thin
stream of running water is needed. For a quick thaw, use the defrost option on a
microwave oven, but only if you are going to cook the food immediately after it
is thawed.

165 oF

160 oF

Use a food thermometer to check temperatures to determine when a meat, fish,

poultry, or egg dish is fully cooked. Do not judge whether a food is cooked
thoroughly by its color or texture. Cook ground beef, pork, veal, or lamb to
160 F; egg dishes to 160 F; and poultry, casseroles, or leftovers to 165 F.
See this chart for more detail on minimum internal temperatures and how
long to hold different food at that temperature. http://www.foodsafety.gov/
keep/charts/mintemp.html

Use a clean food thermometer to measure the internal temperature. Insert it far enough into the food
to get a good reading. Place it in the thickest part of the meat, without touching the bone. Clean
your food thermometer with hot, soapy water after each use. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/
Kitchen_Thermometers/index.asp#4

Cover food, and stir, rotate, and/or flip food periodically to help foods cook evenly in a microwave oven.
Doing so will prevent the food from having cold spots, which can hold bacteria. Always follow
cooking instructions on food packages, and use microwave-safe cookware.

CHILL
Use appropriate thermometers (food, oven, refrigerator) to ensure that hot food stays
hot, cold food stays cold, and that perishable foods do not remain in the danger zone.
Pay close attention to time and temperature to keep foods safe.

Be Careful in the "Danger Zone"

140 oF
DANGER
ZONE

40 oF

The danger zone is the temperature range 40 F to 140 F where bacteria grow
most rapidly.
more 'chill' tips on next page ...
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

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Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

... more 'chill' tips

Keep hot foods hot (140 F or above) and cold foods cold (40 F or below) to minimize the amount of
time foods spend in the danger zone.

Keep the refrigerator at 40 F or below. Keep the freezer at 0 F or below. Use thermometers designed
for each location and check the temperatures regularly, according to your State
agency or sponsoring organizations recommendations or policies.

Handle Foods Carefully

Never leave perishable food out of the refrigerator for more than a total of 2 hours. If
the temperature is over 90 F where the food is out of the refrigerator (such as at
a picnic or field trip), food should not be left out more than 1 hour.

Chill perishable foods promptly (these include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers).

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers as soon as possible but no longer
than 2 hours after purchase, preparation, or serving.

Divide large amounts of cooked leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
Divide large cuts of meat or roasts into smaller pieces before refrigerating.

Reheat all leftovers to a minimum internal temperature of 165 F, and discard perishable food left out
more than 2 hours (or 1 hour during warm weather if the outdoor temperature is above 90 F). Use
a food thermometer to check the foods internal temperature.

Common Food Safety Questions for Child Care Programs

Q: What should I do if I did not take the meat or poultry out of the freezer before cooking?
A: For a quick thaw, defrost food on a plate in the microwave oven. Another option is to place food that
is either packaged or contained within an air-tight bag or container under cold, running tap water
until fully thawed. Only a thin stream of running water is needed. Cook immediately after thawing.
Q: How long can I keep leftovers before freezing or discarding?
A: Check with your sponsoring organization or local health department for recommendations or policies.
Even if food does not look or smell bad, discard or freeze leftover foods within 3-4 days. Check the
safe storage times chart. http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html
Q: I packed lunches for a field trip. How do I keep them safe when traveling?
A: Prepare cooked foods such as meats for sandwiches or pasta for salads the day before, so they have
time to chill.

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Freeze sandwiches (remove lettuce and tomato) to keep them cold longer.
Consider packing beverages in a different coolerthe beverage cooler may be opened more
often, so keeping drinks and food separate ensures the food stays cooler longer.
more 'questions' on next page ...
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

... more 'questions'

Immediately before leaving, use a cooler to pack food right from the refrigerator. Add enough
ice or gel packs to keep food cold. Single-serving boxed juice drinks could be partially frozen
as a cold source for food, but might not defrost by lunchtime. Food and leftover food are only
safe if the cooler still has ice in it. If the ice or cooling source has melted or thawed, discard
the food.
In the summer, eat foods shortly after they are prepared.

Q: How do I select safe food and keep it safe from the grocery store to my child care program?
A: There are many ways you can choose safe foods and keep them safe until you return to your
child care program.

In the store, select cold foods last.

Do not buy foods that are past the sell by, use by, or
any other expiration dates.

Place meat, poultry, and seafood in plastic bags.

Separate foods in your shopping cart.

2013
C 15

E
BY D
SELL

Keep a cooler in your car to transport perishable foods, and go straight to your
child care program to put cold foods in the refrigerator quickly.
Always refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours, except if the
temperature outside is 90 F or more, which reduces this time to
within 1 hour.

Q: What should I do if I suspect a child in my care has a foodborne illness?

A: Follow your State agency or sponsoring organizations standard policies and procedures for getting
medical care for children who become sick for any reason, and follow any State or local policies on
preparing for and reporting a suspected foodborne illness.

It is important to preserve up to 3 days of samples of all food served to children, as well as

the packaging the food came in. This way, it can be determined if food caused the illness and
which food it was. Also be sure to note what the symptoms were and when they began.
Read more information on common foodborne illnesses, their symptoms, and causes.
http://fightbac.org/about-foodborne-illness/causes-a-symptoms and http://www.foodsafety.
gov/poisoning/index.html

Q: How do I get more information about child care involvement in food safety?
A: Go to the Additional Resources section on page 100 to find more information on food safety, and ways
you can educate children and involve them in handling food safely.

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

59

Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

Activities
How can I put this information into practice?
Read the following story. Think about whether the four steps to food safety were followed.
Ms. Maria began preparing lunch for the
children at ABC Child Care after washing her
hands and putting on a hairnet. There is chicken
frying in the pan, and some more raw chicken
on the cutting board. She is happy the raw
chicken defrosted fully overnight after she left
the package on the kitchen counter. Ms. Maria
decided to make fruit salad. She moved the raw
chicken onto a plate and used the same cutting
board to slice a honeydew melon in half. She
cut it into bite-sized pieces and placed the pieces
in a bowl on the counter. She put the other
half of the melon on a plate before putting it
in the refrigerator. She noticed the refrigerator
thermometer read 46 F.

with the melon. Ms. Maria took a can of peaches

from the shelf, used a can opener to open the
can, and put the peaches into the bowl of fruit.
As she put the can opener back in the drawer,
she said, What a colorful fruit salad!

By this time, the chicken in the pan was nicely

browned. Ms. Maria cut a piece of chicken and
saw that the inside was no longer pink. Looks
done to me, she said, and placed the cooked
chicken pieces on a tray. With her bare hands,
she took the rest of the raw chicken from the
plate, rinsed the chicken quickly in the sink, and
put the chicken pieces in the warm pan. Then,
she walked back to the refrigerator and took out
a bag of red grapes. She ate a few grapes, and
then put a few handfuls of grapes into the bowl

After lunch, Ms. Maria wiped down the counters

and tables with a damp sponge and wiped her
hands on her apron. She used the same sponge
to wash the cutting board with cold water. Then,
she started to put away the leftovers before
she went to the grocery store. Ms. Anna came
into the kitchen as she was leaving for the
day at 5:30 p.m. and found the fruit salad still
sitting on the counter. She put the bowl in the
refrigerator to use the next day. She didnt want
to waste any food!

Ms. Anna came into the kitchen after playing

with the children outside. She put on an apron
and stirred the mashed potatoes in the bowl. She
pulled the spoon out of the bowl and tasted the
mashed potatoes. She said, This tastes good,
and put the spoon back into the bowl. She called
the children in for lunch and served up the
chicken, mashed potatoes, and fruit salad, along
with a slice of wheat bread and a cup of milk.

Underline the food safety mistakes in the story above.

Write down the correct action steps for each of the mistakes you found. What could Ms. Maria and
Ms. Anna have done differently to be more food safe? (Use another piece of paper if needed.)

Ms. Maria should defrost the chicken on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator overnight,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
or use another food-safe method of thawing frozen foods.

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
60

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

Activity Answer Key

Answer Key to the Food Safety Tip Sheet Activity
This answer key is for the activity found in the Food Safety tip sheet on page 60. The food safety mistakes are
underlined below.
Ms. Maria began preparing lunch for the children at ABC Child Care after washing her hands and
putting on a hairnet. There is chicken frying in the pan, and some more raw chicken on the cutting
board. She is happy the (1) raw chicken defrosted fully overnight after she left the package on the
kitchen counter. Ms. Maria decided to make fruit salad. She moved the raw chicken onto a plate and
(2, 3, 4) used the same cutting board to slice a honeydew melon in half. She cut it into bite-sized pieces
and placed the pieces in a bowl on the counter. She (5) put the other half of the melon on a plate before
putting it in the refrigerator. She noticed the (6) refrigerator thermometer read 46 F.
By this time, the chicken in the pan was nicely browned. Ms. Maria (7) cut a piece of chicken and saw
that the inside was no longer pink. Looks done to me, she said, and placed the cooked chicken pieces
on a tray. (8) With her bare hands, she took the rest of the raw chicken from the plate, (9) rinsed the
chicken quickly in the sink, and put the chicken pieces in the warm pan. Then, she walked back to the
refrigerator and took out a bag of red grapes. (10, 11) She ate a few grapes, and then put a few handfuls
of grapes into the bowl with the melon. Ms. Maria (12, 13) took a can of peaches from the shelf, used
a can opener to open the can, and put the peaches into the bowl of fruit. As she (14) put the can opener
back in the drawer, she said, What a colorful fruit salad!
Ms. Anna came into the kitchen after playing with the children outside. (15) She put on an apron and
stirred the mashed potatoes in the bowl. She pulled the spoon out of the bowl and tasted the mashed
potatoes. She said, This tastes good, and (16, 17) put the spoon back into the bowl. She (18, 19) called
the children in for lunch and served up the chicken, mashed potatoes, and fruit salad, along with a slice
of wheat bread and a cup of milk.
After lunch, Ms. Maria (20) wiped down the counters and tables with a damp sponge and (21) wiped
her hands on her apron. She (22) used the same sponge to (23) wash the cutting board with cold water.
Then, she started to put away the leftovers before she went to the grocery store. Ms. Anna came into
the kitchen as she was leaving for the day at (24) 5:30 p.m. and found the fruit salad still sitting on the
counter. She put the bowl in the refrigerator to use the next day. She didnt want to waste any food!

Answers

Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness http://www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html

61

Practice the Basics of Food Safety To Prevent Foodborne Illness

The correct action step for each mistake is written below. Review the appropriate section of the Food Safety tip
sheet on pages 55-59 for more detail on the answer.
13 See answer for #2.
1 Ms. Maria should defrost the chicken on the
bottom shelf of the refrigerator overnight,
14 Ms. Maria should wash the can opener after
or use another food-safe method of thawing
using it. (Clean)
frozen foods. (Chill)
15 Ms. Anna should wash her hands after playing
2 Ms. Maria and Ms. Anna should always
with the children, before coming into the
prepare food with clean cutting boards,
kitchen to prepare food, and before serving
utensils, plates, trays, and counter tops.
food to the children. It is recommended that
(Clean)
Ms. Anna wear a hair restraint (like a hat or
hairnet) to keep her hair from falling into food,
3 Ms. Maria should use separate cutting boards
equipment, and utensils. (Clean)
and knives when handling raw chicken and
fruits. Use one clean cutting board and knife
16 Ms. Anna should use a separate, clean spoon to
for the raw chicken, and a separate cutting
taste the mashed potatoes. The same spoon that
board and knife to cut the melon. (Separate)
is being used to mix the mashed potatoes should
not be used for tasting. (Clean and Separate)
4 Ms. Maria should rinse the honeydew melon
before cutting it. (Clean)
17 See answer for #2.
5 The cut half of the honeydew melon
18 Ms. Maria and Ms. Anna should assist children
should be covered before placing it in the
with washing their hands before they sit down
refrigerator. (Chill)
for lunch. (Clean)
6 The refrigerator temperature should be below 19 See answer for #15.
40 F. (Chill)
20 The same sponge used to wipe countertops
7 Ms. Maria should properly insert a clean food
should not be used to wash the cutting board or
thermometer into the chicken to check that
dishes. Instead of using a sponge, Ms. Maria
the internal temperature has reached 165 F.
could use clean towels or single-use paper
(Cook)
towels to wipe the counter tops and tables. If
using a sponge to clean, sanitize it between uses
8 Ms. Maria should wash her hands when
to kill germs. Sponges should be sanitized often.
switching between tasks, like after handling
(Clean)
raw chicken and before touching the bag of
grapes. (Clean)
21 Ms. Maria should wash her hands instead of
wiping them on her apron. (Clean)
9 Ms. Maria should put the chicken directly
in the pan to cook it to the proper internal
22 See answer for #20.
temperature. (Clean)
23 The cutting board should be washed in hot,
10 Ms. Maria should wash her hands after eating
soapy water, instead of in cold water. (Clean)
the grapes and before preparing the fruit
24 Ms. Anna should throw away the fruit salad.
salad. (Clean)
The fruit salad should have been put in the
11 Ms. Maria should wash the grapes. (Clean)
refrigerator promptly after lunch, or within
2 hours of preparation. (Chill)
12 Ms. Maria should wash and dry the top of the
can of peaches before opening it. (Clean)
Circle any food safety mistakes that you may have missed above. Not sure why it was a mistake?
Go back to the section of the food safety tip referenced at the end of the mistake.
62
U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Nutrition Service FNS-440 June 2013
USDA and HHS are equal opportunity providers and employers.