Food safety at home
Most food poisoning at home comes from a few habits: how raw meat is stored, how food is thawed, how long leftovers are kept and whether chicken is cooked through. These lessons follow USDA and Health Canada guidance, with both countries' numbers where they differ.
- 7.5How to tell if an egg is badKeep eggs cold and cook them until firm, because no kitchen test can show that an egg is free of Salmonella.
- 7.8How long is cooked chicken good for in the fridgeGet cooked food into the fridge within 2 hours, and eat it within 3 to 4 days.
- 7.12How to thaw chicken fastThaw meat in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter.
- 7.10Storing raw meat safely in the fridgeKeep raw meat, poultry and seafood sealed, on the bottom shelf, below everything else.
- 7.14Cooking chicken to a safe temperatureTrust a thermometer, not the colour: chicken is safe at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
- 7.11Reading food date labelsTreat most dates as quality guides, but obey expiration dates and safe storage times for food you have opened or cooked.
More topics: Cooking basics · Knots and bows · Fire and carbon monoxide at home · CPR, the AED and choking · All 14