Ways To Avoid Foodborne Illness

• Use only pasteurized dairy products (this should be noted on the label). If you use hard cheeses that are made from unpasteurized milk, they should be aged a minimum of 60 days.
• Wash your hands in hot soapy water after handling raw meat, poultry and seafood, and be sure to wash the cutting board and utensils in hot, soapy water before using them to prepare other food.
• Raw meat, poultry and seafood must be thoroughly cooked (especially shellfish) to kill bacteria.
• As soon as possible, cover and refrigerate cooked leftover food. If the food is left out for two hours or more, discard it.
• Leftovers should be reheated until steaming hot before serving.
• Thoroughly rinse raw fruits and vegetables with cool water before storing or eating them.
• Follow label instructions for storing products that must be refrigerated or that have a "use by" date.
• Keep your counter tops and the refrigerator interior clean and sanitize them regularly.
• If you are or may be pregnant, avoid soft cheese (other than cottage cheese).
• Thaw frozen items in a watertight bag submerged in cold water (change the water every 30 minutes), in the refrigerator, or in the microwave, using a defrost setting, rather than in the sink or on the countertop.