Beef Safety
A Market-to-Mealtime Checklist to Help Keep Your Food Safe
America has one of the safest food supplies in the world and as a consumer, you
are an integral part of keeping that food safe. From the market to your meal,
the safety of your food is your responsibility.
View our
Plating It Safe food safety
brochure or use this great safety
checklist to help you keep your food safe:
Shopping
• Shop for meat, poultry and seafood last. Place meat packages in plastic bags,
to avoid preventing it from touching other foods in the cart.
• Only buy products that are cold to the touch, if they are labeled “Keep
Refrigerated”.
• Feel frozen foods to make sure they are frozen solid.
• Purchase dated packages only if the “Sell By” date has not expired.
• For trips that may exceed 30 minutes, between leaving the market and
refrigerating the meats and poultry at home, store groceries in a small ice
chest in your car.
Storing
• Use a refrigerator thermometer to check that your refrigerator is cooling at
35° to 40°F. The freezer should be at or below 0°F.
• Space items in the refrigerator and freezer so that air can circulate freely.
• Freeze fresh meats and poultry immediately if you don’t plan to use them
within a few days. Over-wrap packages with aluminum foil or heavy freezer wrap
to make airtight.
• Keep uncooked meat, poultry and fish in separate bags and store on the bottom
shelf of the refrigerator.
• Follow the “Use By,” “Keep Refrigerated,” and “Safe Handling” information on
the package.
• Use refrigerated beef steaks, roasts and deli meats within 3 to 4 days. All
poultry, ground meat and fish should be used within 1 to 2 days.
Handling
• Wash your hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling
and preparing food.
• Keep everything that touches food clean.
• Keep uncooked meat, poultry, fish and their juices from coming into contact
with other foods during preparation. Use separate utensils and
cutting/preparation surfaces and be sure to wash hands and utensils with hot
soapy water between foods.
• Use a sanitizing mix of water and bleach (see bleach bottle label for
directions) to sanitize cutting surfaces and countertops after handling any raw
food.
• Regularly clean refrigerator surfaces with warm soapy water.
• Thaw foods only in the refrigerator or microwave oven; never defrost at room
temperature.
• Use a covered non-metallic container or a re-sealable food-safe plastic bag
to marinate in the refrigerator. Discard leftover marinade or bring to a full
rolling boil before using as a sauce.
Cooking
• Use a thermometer to take the guesswork out of cooking meat and poultry. Place
the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding bone and fat.
Here’s a chart of safe internal cooking temperatures for all meats:
• Roast meat and poultry at oven temperatures of 325°F or above.
• Cook ground beef to 160°F to insure proper doneness, the beef should no
longer be pink and the juices should be clear with no pink color.
• When basting grilled meats, brush sauce on cooked surfaces rather than on raw
meat. Be careful not to contaminate fully cooked meats by reusing leftover
marinade that has come into contact with uncooked meats.
• Stir, rotate and cover foods when microwaving to ensure even cooking. Always
clean the interior of your microwave after cooking.
Serving
• Always place cooked food in a clean serving dish before serving and use clean
utensils. Never use the same, unwashed, plate that has held uncooked foods.
• Do not allow cooked foods to sit out for more than two hours at room
temperature.
• When serving from a buffet, keep cold foods on ice and hot foods insulated
and warmed to 140°F or higher. Use small serving containers and continually
replace/refill with fresh food from either cold or warm storage.
Leftovers
• Refrigerate cooked foods promptly after serving (within two hours).
• Freeze leftovers that won’t be eaten in the next 2-3 days.
• Cover and reheat leftovers to 165°F throughout or until steaming hot. Stir
foods to be sure of even heat distribution. Reheat sauces, soups and gravies to
a rolling boil for at least one minute before serving.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Do not risk eating or tasting leftover foods
that do not smell or look right.
• Dispose of any potentially unsafe food in a garbage disposal or tightly
wrapped/ sealed package so it cannot be eaten by people or animals.
Find more
Food Safety Resources.
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