September is Food Safety Month Take precautions when preparing meals

ULLIN - Each year, 48 million (1 in 6 Americans) get sick from eating contaminated food. Of those, more than 128,000 will be hospitalized and 3,000 will die.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracks foodborne illnesses and collaborates with state and local health departments and other federal agencies to investigate foodborne outbreaks and provides information to improve food safety.

Southern 7 Health Department works closely with the communities it serves to monitor and prevent food borne illnesses through its Food Service Sanitation Program.

September is Food Safety Month. Southern 7 recommends following these four simple steps from the CDC at home - Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill - to help protect you and your loved ones from food poisoning. Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often.

Germs that cause food poisoning can survive in many places and spread around your kitchen. Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before, during, and after preparing food and before eating. Wash your utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

• Separate: Don't cross-contaminate. Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat foods, unless you keep them separate. Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw foods. When grocery shopping, keep raw foods and their juices away from other foods and separate from all other foods in the fridge.

• Cook: To the right temperature. Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature gets high enough to kill germs that can make you sick. Use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.

• Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the "Danger Zone" between 40°F and 140°F. Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F outside). Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and know when to throw food out. Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Never thaw foods on the counter.

For more information, contact Southern 7 Health Department at 618-634-2297 or visit the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.org.