
Hot Topics - Food Safety for Home Cooking
UNL Extension helps you Know how. Know now.
Food Safety for Home Cooking
Alice Henneman, MS, RD, UNL Extension in Lancaster County &
Joyce Jensen, REHS, Environmental Health Specialist, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
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"
Webpage Quick Links
- Advance Preparation of Foods
- Refrigerator, Freezer & Pantry Storage
- Cooking Times & Temperatures
- Microwave, Slow Cooker & Grilling
Microwave, Slow Cooker & Grilling Specific Foods:
- Hotdogs (beef, chicken turkey, pork)
- Other Meats (rabbit; emu, ostrich, rhea)
- Pork
- Special Situations: includes Sack Lunches, Sending Food Gifts to the Military, Buffets, When Your Power Goes Off, Food Safety After a Hurricane or Flood, Bird and Food Safety.
- Home Canning & Freezing
- Related Links
- Toll-free Food Safety Hotlines
To preserve formatting, some publications are presented in Adobe Acrobat's PDF electronic format. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader HERE
Did "Food Safety for Home Cooking" Help You? ![]()
Check for
items added to Website! |
Items available in Spanish highlighted: En Español
Site maintained by: Alice Henneman, MS, RD, Extension Educator | Email Me
University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lancaster County, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68528
Advance Preparation of Foods
- 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)
- Freezing Cooked Food for Future Meals: Freezer Bag Tips
Refrigerator, Freezer & Pantry Storage
- Refrigeration and Food Safety | Printable (includes storage chart; Source: USDA )
- Food Marketing Institute's "Food Keeper" (refrigerator, pantry, freezer)
- Freezing Animal Products (Source: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension)
- What to Do if the Freezer Stops (Source: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension)
- The Big Thaw - Safe Defrosting Methods for Consumers (Source: USDA)
- 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
Cooking Times & Temperatures
- 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!
- Appliance Thermometers (refrigerator, freezer & oven; Source: USDA)
Microwave, Slow Cooker & Grilling
Microwave
- Cooking Safely in the Microwave Oven | En Español (Source: USDA)
Slow Cooker
- 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 Grilling Tips (Source: National Turkey Federation)
Special Situations
- 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)
Specific Foods
Beef
- 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)
Bison
- Focus on Bison (Source: USDA)
Chicken
- Focus on: Chicken (Source: USDA)
- Eatchicken.com (Source: National Chicken Council)
Dairy Foods
- Food Safety at home (National Dairy Council)
Duck & Goose
- Duck and Goose ... from Farm to Table | PDF (Source: USDA)
Eggs
- Shell Eggs from Farm to Table | Printable (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)
- Tips for Easter and Passover Egg Safety (Source: USDA)
Fruits & Vegetables
- Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste (Source: UCDavis)
Hotdogs
- Focus on Hotdogs (Source: USDA)
Lamb
- Focus on Lamb ... from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
Other Meats
- Rabbit from Farm to Table | Printable (Source: USDA)
- Emu, Ostrich, Rhea | PDF (Source: USDA)
- Turkduckens Require Safe Food Handling | PDF (Source: USDA)
Pork
- Fresh Pork . . . from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
- Focus on: Ham (Source: USDA)
- National Pork Board
Seafood
- Seafood Safety: On the Home Front (Source: FDA)
- Purchasing Seafood (Source: USDC Seafood Inspection Program)
- National Fisheries Institute
Sausages
- Focus on: Sausages (Source: USDA)
Turkey
- Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey | Printable | 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
- Veal ... from Farm to Table (Source: USDA)
Home Canning & Freezing
Related Links
- 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)
UNL Colleges with Food-related Degrees:
Schedule a Personalized visit to the UNL Camps:
Other Resources:
Find more of UNL Extension in Lancaster County on:
...friend us! join us! check out all our social media sites here.







