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Food Safety for Home Cooking
Alice Henneman, MS, RD |
Joyce Jensen, REHS |

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NOTE: New recommendations are that poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. You may still see references in some materials to the former higher recommended temperatures.
Click to take a quick "Food Safety Savvy Quiz"
- Advance Preparation of Foods
- Refrigerator, Freezer & Pantry Storage
- Cooking Times & Temperatures
- Microwave, Slow Cooker & Grilling
- Specific Foods
- Beef
- Bison
- Chicken
- Duck & Goose
- Eggs
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Hotdogs (beef, chicken turkey, pork)
- Other Meats (rabbit; emu, ostrich, rhea)
- Pork
- Turkey
- Sausages (includes a variety of meats)
- Seafood
- Veal
- Special Situations
- Sack Lunches
- Sending Food Gifts to the Military
- Buffets
- When Your Power Goes Off
- Food Safety After Returning Home after a Hurricane or Flood
- Bird and Food Safety
- Home Canning & Freezing
- Related Links
- Toll-free Food Safety Hotlines
- Did "Food Safety for Home Cooking" Help You?

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Items available in Spanish highlighted: En Español
- Chill Out Over the Holidays: Bake Ahead & Freeze!
- Cook Once, Eat Twice
- Get out of the Kitchen When Company Is Coming: Cook Ahead
- Food Safety Checklist for "Planned-over" Foods
- Freezing Prepared Foods (Source: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension - PDF)
- Freezing Cooked Food for Future Meals: Freezer Bag Tips
Refrigerator, Freezer & Pantry Storage
- Refrigeration and Food Safety | PDF (includes storage chart; Source: USDA )
- Food Marketing Institute's "Food Keeper" (refrigerator, pantry, freezer)
- Freezing Animal Products (Source: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension - PDF )
- What to Do if the Freezer Stops (Source: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension - PDF)
- The Big Thaw - Safe Defrosting Methods for Consumers (Source: USDA)
- Handling Holiday Leftovers When Dining Out
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? (Source: USDA)
- What Consumers Need to Know About Food and Water Safety During Hurricanes, Power Outages, and Floods
- Is It Safe to Eat a Food that Has Freezer Burn?
- How to Tell if Your Freezer Power Was Off When You Were Away
- Is It Done Yet? (Source: USDA)
- Thermometer Placement (Source: USDA)
- Types of Food Thermometers (includes pictures; Source: USDA)
- Pass the Taste Test: Use a Thermometer! (PDF)
- Appliance Thermometers (refrigerator, freezer & oven; Source: USDA)
Microwave, Slow Cooker & Grilling
- Microwave
- Cooking Safely in the Microwave Oven | En Español (Source: USDA)
- Cooking Safely in the Microwave Oven | En Español (Source: USDA)
- Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Safety (Source: USDA)
- Slow Cooker Safety (Source: USDA)
- Grilling
- Barbecue Food Safety | En Español (Source: USDA)
- Grill It Safely (PDF)
- Beef:
- Three Easy Steps to Grilling (Source: Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association)
- Beef ... Outdoors at the Grill (includes recipes; Source: Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association - PDF)
- Chicken
- Cooking Time and Temperature Chart (Source: National Chicken Council)
- Pork
- Grilling Guide (Source: National Pork Board)
- Seafood
- Grilling Seafood Tips (Source: National Fisheries Institute and Wegman's Food Markets)
- Turkey
- Turkey Grilling Tips (Source: National Turkey Federation)
- Focus on: Beef . . . from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
- Beef, It's What's for Dinner (Source: Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association)
- Focus on Bison (Source: USDA)
- Focus on: Chicken (Source: USDA)
- Eatchicken.com (Source: National Chicken Council)
- Food Safety at home (National Dairy Council)
- Duck and Goose ... from Farm to Table | PDF (Source: USDA)
- Shell Eggs from Farm to Table | PDF (Source: USDA)
- American Egg Board
- Making Homemade Ice Cream Without Using Raw Eggs
- Recipe made with a cooked ice cream base (Source: American Egg Board)
- Eggless ice cream recipe (included as part of article; Source Colorado State University Cooperative Extension)
- Tips for Easter and Passover Egg Safety (Source: USDA)
- Six Steps to Safer Fruits and Vegetables (Source: Partnership for Food Safety Education - PDF)
- Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste (Source: UCDavis - PDF)
- Focus on Hotdogs (Source: USDA)
- Focus on Lamb ... from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
- Rabbit from Farm to Table | PDF (Source: USDA)
- Emu, Ostrich, Rhea | PDF (Source: USDA)
- Turkduckens Require Safe Food Handling | PDF (Source: USDA)
- Fresh Pork . . . from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
- Focus on: Ham (Source: USDA)
- National Pork Board
- Seafood Safety: On the Home Front (Source: FDA)
- Purchasing Seafood (Source: USDC Seafood Inspection Program)
- National Fisheries Institute
- Focus on: Sausages (Source: USDA)
- Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey | PDF | En Español (Source: USDA)
- National Turkey Federation
- How to Cook a Turkey the Day Before Serving It

- Underwriters Laboratories Warns About Turkey Deep-Fryers
- More Turkey information

- Veal ... from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
- Buffets (Source: Partnership for Food Safety Education)
- Tips on Sending Food Gifts to US Military (Source: USDA)
- Keeping "Bag" Lunches Safe (Source: USDA)
- What Consumers Need to Know About Food and Water Safety During Hurricanes, Power Outages, and Floods (Source: FDA)
- Food Safety for Consumers Returning Home After a Hurricane and/or Flooding (Source: FDA)
- Questions and Answers On Avian Influenza ("Bird Flu") and Food Safety (Source: FDA)
- Food Safety & Inspection Service (USDA)
- FoodSafety.gov (USDA)
- Fight BAC!™ (a public-private coalition)
- Home Food Safety (American Dietetic Association & ConAgra Foods Foundation)
Toll-free Food Safety Hotlines
- Meat and Poultry Hotline (Source: USDA)
- Food Information Line (Source: FDA)