With all the news about food recalls and food poisoning outbreaks, it may seem like danger is everywhere. Does food poisoning really come down to which bag of spinach you happen to choose at the grocery store?

Food borne illness, or food poisoning refers to sicknesses caused by contaminated foods. While it's true that food can become tainted during growing, harvesting and processing, the causes of food poisoning often occur closer to home.

Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to keep your family safe.

Start with Your Shopping Cart

Safe food handling begins at the store and in your shopping cart. When choosing what to buy:

• Double check expiration labels on dairy, meat and packaged goods like salads and ready-made items.
• Check the packaging on meat, poultry and seafood. Don’t buy items that are punctured or leaking fluid.
• Check eggs inside cartons to see that they aren’t broken or cracked.
• When buying fresh produce, avoid overly bruised or damaged options.
• If you buy fresh cut fruit, make sure it’s refrigerated or surrounded by ice.

As you place items in your cart and bag them at checkout, keep foods separate. Raw or frozen meat, poultry, seafood and eggs can spread germs. Keep these items and their juices away from other foods.

Store Food Properly

Keeping meat and produce separate should not end at the grocery store.

• Store raw fruits and vegetables on upper shelves of your refrigerator.
• Freeze meats right away or keep them tightly wrapped in their original packaging on the bottom shelf. This will prevent anything that drips from dripping on foods like lettuce that will be eaten uncooked.

Keeping foods at the right temperature will keep them from spoiling, and won’t allow viruses or bacteria to survive. Make sure to put cold items in the refrigerator or freezer immediately.

• Your fridge temp should be 40° F or below.
• Freezers should be kept at 0° F.

Additionally, use your fridge to safely defrost meats or leftovers overnight. If this takes too long, you can use your microwave defrost feature or put the items in your sink with cool water until they are no longer frozen.

• Leftovers should be packed up and refrigerated within 2 hours of preparation.
• You should never eat foods that have been sitting out for more than 4 hours.

Follow Safe Food Prep Tips

When you’re ready to start slicing and dicing your favorites foods, follow these important safety steps:

• Wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after food prep.
• Clean prep surfaces often. Cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops should always be washed with hot soapy water after coming in contact with fresh produce, raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Wash all kinds of produce with cool tap water for 5 to 10 seconds right before eating. This includes foods with an inedible peel, like avocados, melons, lemons, limes and grapefruit. If not washed, dirt or bacteria on the outer layer of these foods may get on your hands or inside to the flesh when the item is cut. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends using a clean produce brush to scrub firm produce. Don’t use soap or detergents. Cut away bruised or damaged areas before eating.
• Don’t cross-contaminate. Use clean cutting boards and utensils when handling your food. Use one clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Refrigerate fresh produce within two hours of peeling or cutting. Throw away sliced or cut up produce after it’s been at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Do not wash raw meat. Doing this can spread bacteria by splashing uncooked juices onto the sink, countertops or other foods you have nearby.

Watch Internal Cooking Temps!

What really matters for keeping meat of any type or leftover foods safe to eat is the internal temperature reached during cooking. Where or how you cook or reheat your foods does not matter. Whether you use a microwave, stove, oven or grill, make sure to cook items to the appropriate temperature to kill any bacteria that may be lurking. Here’s a list of the correct internal cooking temps to use:

• Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork, including fresh ham: 145°F (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
• Fish with fins: 145°F or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork
• Ground meats, such as beef and pork: 160°F
• All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey: 165°F
• Leftovers and casseroles: 165°F

Sometimes meat can appear fully cooked even though it hasn't reached a safe internal temperature. The only way to tell if food is cooked thoroughly is with a food thermometer.

Be Mindful of Seasonal Safety

In warmer months when you want to get outside for picnics or celebrations, there’s a few things to remember to make sure food poisoning doesn’t ruin the fun:

• Hold the mayo. Mayo is a fan-favorite dairy product in the “perishable” category. When mayonnaise is mixed into other foods like tuna or eggs, bacteria find it the perfect place to grow, especially when it’s warm. These kinds of foods need to be refrigerated or frozen within two hours of prep or purchase (or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90° F).
• Keep coolers cool. Remember refrigerated foods should stay below 40°F. Load your cooler with enough ice or ice packs to maintain this temperature. Foods need to be packed in ice, not just placed on top of it. Transport coolers in an air-conditioned car, not in a hot trunk. The temp in a car trunk can quickly rise up to 150°F. When you get to your picnic site, keep your cooler closed and in the shade. Be sure to clean coolers thoroughly before and after use.
• Clean your hands often. As noted, handwashing is one of the simplest ways to help prevent the spread of germs. But when soap and water aren’t available like at parks, bring disposable anti-bacterial towels or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Stick to the one-day rule. Unless you freeze it, don’t prepare food for an outdoor get together more than one day ahead. Making foods in advance gives bacteria more time to grow. Cooked foods need to be cooled quickly in shallow pans. Make sure the food is no more than two inches deep. Improper cooling is a major cause of food-borne illness.

Following these tips can help prevent illness from bacteria. If you suspect food poisoning and you need to see a doctor, where you go matters. Do your research about ERs versus urgent care now. That way you know where to go if you or someone you know gets sick.

Sources: About Four Steps to Food Safety;  Foods That Can Cause Food Poisoning,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; Food Safety Tips: How to Prevent Foodborne Illness,  U.S. News & World Report, 2025; Food Poisoning,  Mayo Clinic, 2025; Keep Food Safe! Food Safety Basics,  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2024