You come home from a tiring day at work, feed the family, and then relax a bit. You open the newspaper, click on the television or turn on the computer. What are the first words you see? Withdrawal of meat Your first thought is “I hope I didn’t feed my children that tainted meat” as you search the news for details of the company in question and the locations where the meat was distributed. The relief you feel when you find out that the recall took place in another state or country is palpable. You were lucky. This time.

As the food industry continues to grow, stories of food poisoning or its official title “foodborne illness” are multiplying. In one state, 50 people were sick. In another, children died. The government strives to keep up with regulations and inspection processes that reduce risks to the public. But are we doomed to rely on the efforts of regulatory agencies to keep our families safe, or is there something we can do to ensure they stay healthy? No!! The consumer…you…have a lot of control over whether the food your family eats makes one family member sick or everyone stays healthy.

The first thing you need to do is make sure you buy your meat from a reputable supplier. Make sure the facility is clean and the workers look healthy. Make sure your refrigerated items feel very cold to the touch; meat should not be in the Temperature Danger Zone between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees. Keep the meat you’re buying away from other foods, especially items like salad ingredients that won’t be cooked.

If you are going to keep meat in your home refrigerator for an extended period of time, make sure the refrigerator keeps cold foods below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Place meat on the bottom shelf, below ready-to-eat foods and produce. If meat juices were to drip, they would not contaminate these products. Keep meat no longer than 72 hours before cooking. If you plan to keep it longer, make the decision to put the meat in the freezer when you get home instead of the refrigerator, and practice proper thawing techniques before cooking.

Make sure your hands are clean before handling raw meat, and wash them immediately afterward. Handling raw meat and then touching other foods or items in your kitchen can contaminate those items and cause germs to stay on them and multiply.

If you use a cutting board for meat, make sure it’s made of a non-porous material, such as glass or acrylic. Do not place raw meat on a wooden breadboard. After using the cutting board, wash it, rinse it, and then sanitize it in a solution of one capful of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Do not rinse the cutting board after sanitizing it. (Don’t worry, restaurants use this solution all the time to sanitize the items you eat. It won’t make you sick.) Let it air dry and then put it away.

The most important thing you can do is make sure the meat is fully cooked to the proper minimum internal temperature. Don’t trust how it looks. If you want to ensure that your family remains free of foodborne illness, it is vital that you have a metal stem thermometer available and ensure that it is calibrated. Check several portions of the thickest part of the meat.

From the United States Department of Agriculture website, these are the temperatures you should make sure your food is cooked to to ensure safety:

USDA Recommended Minimum Safe Internal Temperatures

o Steaks and Roasts – 145°F

or Fish – 145°F

o Pork – 160°F

or Ground Beef – 160°F

o Egg Dishes – 160°F

o Chicken Breasts – 165°F

o Whole Birds – 165°F

Following these guidelines will drastically reduce the risk of any member of your immediate family contracting foodborne illness.