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Food Safety: Preparing

Table of Contents


Overview

Washing your hands often and preparing foods properly help reduce the risk of food poisoning. Here are a few tips.

What's the best way to wash your hands?

You can wash your hands so that it kills the most germs. Just follow these simple steps.

  1. Wet your hands with running water, and apply soap.
  2. Rub your hands together to make a lather. Scrub well for at least 20 seconds.
  3. Pay special attention to your wrists, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
  4. Rinse your hands well under running water.
  5. Use a clean towel to dry your hands, or air-dry your hands. You may want to use a clean towel as a barrier between the faucet and your clean hands when you turn off the water.

If soap and water are not available, you can use a hand sanitizer or alcohol-based hand wipes that contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol or isopropanol. The alcohol kills many types of germs on your hands, but it doesn't get rid of all types of germs.

When you can see dirt on your hands, or if your hands are greasy, it's better to wash with soap and water.

If you use sanitizer, put some on your hand and then rub your hands and fingers until they are dry. You don't need to use water.

How can you avoid getting sick from moldy food?

Some foods should be thrown away if they have some mold, while others can be used safely.

Soft foods that are moldy should be thrown away. Mold on these foods can grow under the surface. The foods may be contaminated with bacteria. Examples of soft foods include hot dogs, lunch meats, soft cheese, bread, jams, jellies, and soft fruits and vegetables.

Moldy foods that can still be used include:


Credits for Food Safety: Preparing

Current as of: October 24, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
Clinical Review Board (https://www.healthwise.org/specialpages/legal/abouthw/en)
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.


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