Food safety is prime for family cook

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refrigerator full with some kinds of food - vegetables, meat, fish

You childproof your home, make sure your teen turns off his cell phone when driving and get your children the vaccinations and check-ups they need to protect them.

As a responsible parent, you’ll also want to pass these food safety tips onto the family cook:

† Wash hands frequently. Nothing helps prevent passing on germs like getting into the habit of frequent hand washing.

† Have a cutting board? Salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria can be found on cutting boards that have been used. Be scrupulous about keeping yours clean. Keep one cutting board for meats and a second for fruits and vegetables (try one of those newish anti-microbial ones).

Use the dishwasher to clean a plastic cutting board and a scrubber on a wooden one. Once the cutting board becomes worn with deep grooves, it’s time to toss it and get a new one.

† Food that is supposed to be hot should be kept hot; the same holds true for cold foods. Between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees, bacteria can rapidly multiply. Put leftovers into the refrigerator no longer than two hours after serving the meal.

† Speaking of the refrigerator: Make sure the interior temperature of your refrigerator is not higher than 40 degrees and keep your freezer at an even 0 degrees.

† Buy and use a meat thermometer. It’s not just for baking the Thanksgiving turkey

If you cook meat and poultry year-round, using a meat thermometer every time you do will make you feel more secure that the meat is cooked thoroughly. Make sure the thermometer gets washed in between uses.

† Thaw your frozen meats, fish and poultry in the refrigerator, not in the sink or on the counter. If you are in a hurry, pop it into the microwave and hit “defrost.” You can put the meat in a sealed container or large plastic bag that has a waterproof closure and leave it in a sink filled with cold water for about an hour. Cook the defrosted food immediately at the proper temperature.

† Also, marinate food in the refrigerator. Put your marinade over the meat or other food you are going to cook, cover it and stash it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. Overnight works well.

Tip from the parenting trenches: Making homemade baby food gives you complete control over what your baby is eating.

However, don’t include honey to sweeten your homemade baby food; it can cause botulism in your infant.

For more tips on homemade baby food safety, go to www.foodsafety.gov/blog/ homemade_babyfood.html.

Gannett News Service