Food Safety
A critical part of healthy eating is keeping foods safe. Use Penn State Extension’s extensive selection of resources on home food safety including storage guidelines for refrigerators and freezers, food safety tips, cleaning fruits and vegetables, tips on handwashing, and preventing foodborne illnesses.
Proper Food Storage at Home
How much do you know about food safety? Do you, for example, know what meats and cheese should be refrigerated? Do you know the optimum temperature your refrigerator should be kept at so that it maintains the quality of food and slows the growth of pathogens? You may have many questions about food safety in your home, and Penn State Extension has the answers.
Good food safety practices should be followed when preparing, preserving, and storing food. Do you fully understand the date marks on the food you buy and what to do with your leftovers? When you buy food from the store, it’s generally marked with a sell-by or use-by date. Food recalls are another way producers can help to keep customers safe.
When it’s food you’ve produced at home, however, knowing how long you can keep it can be challenging. It’s not always immediately apparent whether food is spoiled, but there are things to look out for, such as mold growth, color, texture, and odor change. Being able to recognize these signs is crucial if you want to keep your family safe.
Home Food Handling and Safety
Your best defense against illness is to wash your hands regularly. Washing raw food is something else you should practice in the home. Washing raw chicken, on the other hand, is an exception to the rule as it can lead to cross-contamination and increase the risk of someone getting sick from a foodborne illness. You should also handle food safely, such as checking the temperature of food when cooking.
Food processors and manufacturers help you keep your food safe by carefully labeling their products, but these are only valid if you follow safe storage practices. These also apply to leftovers, as they need to be handled, stored, and reheated safely in order to prevent people from getting sick.
If you’re making cheese, Penn State Extension has a wide selection of home cheese making resources, including recipes, tips for choosing supplies and utensils, making cheese, and book and website suggestions.
Safe Handling of Game Meat and Fish
Hunting and fishing are some of Pennsylvania’s most popular outdoor activities. If you enjoy hunting and eating game meat, food safety practices start in the field. Since much of the butchering of game meat is done there, you’re increasing the risk of contamination. Field dressing should take place as soon as possible, to prevent surface bacteria from contaminating and spoiling the quality of the meat. Use this pocket guide to field dressing deer when you go hunting.
Proper care and handling of all fish and game, whether it’s venison, game birds, or any other type of wild game and fish, should be practiced. Any perishable meat, including raw or undercooked game meat often contains harmful bacteria that can cause illness when ingested. Bacteria can be present on the meat, cutting surfaces, and your hands. It’s therefore important to follow game meat safety principles. Wash your hands often, can game meat in a pressure canner, and heat jerky to 160°F before dehydrating.
Home Food Safety at Parties and Family Occasions
When the weather is warm, many people enjoy eating outside, whether it’s a picnic or a summer party. Food safety is equally important, especially if you’re inviting friends and family.
In the fall, the football season is another time of the year for partying. If you’re planning a tailgating party this year or preparing homegating food for your buddies, remember food safety is a key component. It should be considered when shopping, preparing, cooking, serving, and storing your homegating food.
Christmas is also a time when people enjoy eating together. You should pay particular attention when preparing, serving, and cleaning up food during the holidays.
- Workshops
$300.00
Venison 101: Hands-On Butchering, Processing, and Cooking
When 08/23/2024Length 8 hoursExplore venison processing and cooking in depth with our comprehensive program tailored for hunters seeking to enhance their skills. - Workshops
Starting at $50.00
Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling
When Multiple Options AvailableLength 3 hoursEven if your organization has been preparing large volumes of food for years, things change. This program helps nonprofit organizations and their volunteers keep up-to-date and knowledgeable about food safety rules and regulations. Don’t risk your customer’s health or your organization's reputation. - Webinars
$5.00
Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer's Guide to Safe Food Handling
When Multiple Options AvailableThe Cooking for Crowds webinar helps non-profit organizations and their volunteers understand risks involved preparing large volumes of food. - Articles
Is it Safe to Store Food on the Porch or in the Garage During the Winter?
Many people store food outdoors in the wintertime. This article highlights some of the reasons that people may want to re-think that practice. - Articles
Eliminating Odors from the Refrigerator and Freezer
What can you do to remove unpleasant odors from the refrigerator or freezer caused by spoiled food? - Articles
Venison, Is It For You?
Venison is growing in popularity as a good source of animal protein. Learn the health benefits of including venison into your diet. - Articles
Safe Handling of Venison is Easy with Advance Planning
This article looks at game from a food safety perspective and provides tips for safe handling of wild-harvested venison. - Articles
Receiving Home Delivery Meals or Mailing Food, What Should You Do?
While the mail order food industry has relied on a safe track record, there is growing concern with the limited food safety guidance and regulations provided by FDA. - Articles
Why Can't I Lick the Spoon?
Eating raw cookie dough or raw dough of any type may put you at risk for a foodborne illness! - Articles
Fight Bac! Fight Foodborne Bacteria, Four Simple Steps to Food Safety
Fight BAC!® This informative, brochure details how to properly clean your hands and surfaces, cook food to proper temperatures, and maintain proper refrigeration techniques. - Articles
Proper Processing of Wild Game and Fish
This article describes safe processing techniques for wild game and fish, including temperature control, aging, cutting, curing, smoking, canning, and jerky and sausage making. - Articles
Spider Beetles
Spider beetles are general scavengers and can be found in panÂtries, museums, grain mills, warehouses, and attics. - Articles
Phorid Flies
The phorids are a family of small flies with more than 3500 species worldwide. The scuttle fly can be frequently found in homes and is discussed here. - Articles
Cigarette Beetle
The cigarette beetle is a common insect in Pennsylvania that infests many types of stored products. - Articles
Odorous House Ant
These native ants feed on many items found in homes, but prefer food high in sugars. Outside, they feed on aphid honeydew and nectar from flowers and buds. - Articles
Larder Beetle
A commercial pest as well as a household pest, the cosmopolitan larder beetle was historically a pest of cured meats in Europe, the United States, and Canada. - Articles
Cereal and Pantry Pests
A variety of different insects attack cereals, flour, herbs, spices, chocolate, dried fruits and similar items in our homes. - Articles
New Recipe Guidelines Coming to Cookbooks
Incorporating a few basic safe food handling instructions in recipe directions helps to improve food safety practices in the home, reducing the risk for a foodborne illness. - Articles
Game Meat Safety
As you are getting ready to go hunting, there are three things about caring for and preserving game meat that should be stressed. - Articles
Foodborne Illness and Listeria monocytogenes
The bacteria Listeria monocytogenes is particularly harmful to pregnant women, newborns, children, elderly, and immune compromised individuals. - Articles
Tips on Preventing Foodborne Illness
Food can be a source of great pleasure, but it also can be dangerous if it is not handled and prepared correctly. - Articles
Harvesting and Preserving Herbs and Spices for Use in Cooking
Instead of relying on herbs and spices purchased from the grocery store, gardeners can grow, harvest, and preserve their own. - Articles
Making Cider Vinegar at Home
Two factors require special attention when making vinegar at home: oxygen supply and temperature. - Articles
Uncooked Flour: A Hazardous Ingredient?
Recent recalls of flour are important to note, but during a recall is not the only time to be concerned about the safety of uncooked flour.