Spring Clean Your Kitchen to Be Food Safe

As you spring clean your closets, cars, and garages, the U.S. Department of Agriculture"s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) encourages everyone to Be Food Safe and give your kitchen - especially refrigerators and freezers where raw meat, poultry and seafood is stored - a thorough cleaning as well.

This is a good time of year to use or throw out items that are losing their quality or have spoiled, as well as to check for unnoticed spills and remove lingering odors. Cleaning out your freezer requires extra care and can create new messes, so FSIS is providing simple steps to help you spring clean your kitchen, prevent cross contamination, and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Clean

Bacteria can be transferred by hands, cutting boards, and knives and quickly spread to all kitchen surfaces. Frequent cleaning can keep that from happening.

Keep countertops clean by washing with hot soapy water before and after preparing food.

Keep the refrigerator clean at all times. Wipe up spills immediately and clean surfaces thoroughly with hot, soapy water, and rinse them well. If spoiled food has left an odor in your refrigerator or freezer as a result of a power outage, wash and sanitize shelves, crispers, and ice trays, as well as the door and gasket. Leave the door open for about 15 minutes to allow free air circulation. FSIS has more tips on how to remove kitchen odors.

Sanitize surfaces and utensils with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

Separate

Cross-contamination is the spread of bacteria from one surface to another, and it is especially likely to take place when thawing or preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Any bacteria that may be on frozen meat, poultry, and fish can become active upon thawing and cause illness if food is not handled safely.

Keep fresh or frozen raw meats and any juices that may leak from them away from already-cooked food or fresh produce. Thaw or store raw meat, poultry, and seafood in a container or on a plate in the refrigerator so juices can"t drip on other foods.

Use one cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Use another for salads and ready-to-eat food.

Wash cutting boards with hot, soapy water after each use. Rinse with clear water and air dry or pat dry with clean paper towels. Nonporous acrylic, plastic, or glass boards and solid wood boards can be washed in a dishwasher (laminated boards may crack and split).

Replace cutting boards that are excessively worn or have developed hard-to-clean grooves where bacteria can live. Go to FSIS for more information.

Always use clean plates and utensils. Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food.