Food Safety Tips This Mother’s Day

Food Safety Tips This Mother's Day

This Mother's Day, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service reminds parents and soon-to-be parents to pay close attention to food preparation and menu choices, especially during pregnancy when hormonal changes affect the immune system. These conditions make it more difficult to fight off illness from bacteria and other pathogens found in contaminated food.

Even though foodborne illness can be serious, it is totally preventable if you practice safe food-handling behaviors and avoid foods considered risky, like undercooked and raw foods. Here are some tips to consider:

Tip 1: Practice USDA's Four Steps to Food Safety

• Clean-Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after meal preparation. Clean and sanitize surfaces often with soap, water and a sanitizer or disinfectant.
• Separate-Use separate cutting boards: one for raw meat and poultry and another for fruits and vegetables. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods and utensils.
• Cook-Cook meat and poultry products to a safe internal temperature by using a food thermometer.
  • Fish and shellfish: 145 degrees F
  • Whole meat: 145 degrees F, with a three-minute rest time
  • Ground meat: 160 degrees F
  • Egg dishes: 160 degrees F
  • All poultry: 165 degrees F
  • Any leftovers: 165 degrees F
• Chill-Place foods that are no longer being eaten back into the refrigerator or freezer within two hours of sitting out at room temperature. Use or freeze leftovers within four days.

Tip 2: Consider Avoiding Riskier Foods

• Undercooked meat and poultry
• Unheated luncheon meats
• Dry sausages
• Unpasteurized milk, juice or cider
• Refrigerated smoked seafood
• Fish with high levels of mercury
• Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk
• Undercooked eggs
• Raw cookie dough
• Store bought/premade egg salad, ham salad, chicken salad, tuna salad or seafood salad
• Raw or undercooked sprouts

Tip 3: When in Doubt, Reach Out

If you have any food safety questions, contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline:

• Call 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Monday-Friday
• Email [email protected]
• Chat live at www.ask.usda.gov between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday

Last Updated: May 07, 2024