Food Safety at Home, School and Work

Food safety is important for everyone. The food we eat in Canada is among the safest in the world; however, foods can still become contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals, and/or other toxins, as it makes its way to the table. 

According to the Government of Canada, about 1 in 8 Canadians get sick due to foodborne illness every year. By following a few simple steps, you can reduce the risk of foodborne illness for yourself and others.

How can we prevent foodborne illness?

Follow these food safety steps to reduce your risk of getting sick from food.

1. Clean – Wash your hands and surfaces well

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds:

• Before handling food

• After touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs

• After using the washroom, touching pets, or changing diapers

• Clean and sanitize surfaces, cutting boards, and utensils with a mild bleach solution:

• Recipe: Mix 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of bleach with 3 cups (750 ml) of water. Use this before and after food prep, especially when switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

• Replace worn-out or hard to clean cutting boards and utensils

2. Separate – Avoid cross-contamination

Cross-contamination happens when bacteria from raw food spread to other food or surfaces. To avoid this:

• At the store: Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other food in your cart and place them in separate bags

• In the fridge:

• Store raw meat in sealed containers or plastic bags over the original packaging on the bottom shelf to keep juices from dripping onto other foods

• On surfaces:

• Clean and sanitize surfaces and utensils after using them for raw meat

• Use paper towels or change dishcloths daily

• Cutting boards:

• Use a dedicated board for raw meat and another for fruits and veggies

3. Safe storage – Store food the right way

Proper storage keeps food from spoiling and makes it safer to eat. Learn more about safe food storage.

4. Chill – Keep it cool

• Refrigerate or freeze food within two hours of preparing it or buying it

• If hazardous food has been left out at room temperature for two hours or more, throw it out

• Don’t overfill the fridge as cold air needs to move around to keep everything cool

For tips on keeping food safe during a power outage, check out SWPH’s Food Safety and Power Outages guide (PDF).

5. Cook – Use a thermometer

One of the most important tools you can keep in your kitchen is a good quality thermometer. Cooking meats/hazardous foods to the correct internal temperature is the final step in ensuring that the food you eat and serve is safe. Use a probe thermometer to confirm that the food you serve is safe. Proper use of a probe thermometer involves inserting the probe into the thickest part of the food, without touching the cooking container, or where applicable, the bone.

Safe cooking temperatures include (and can vary for meats, poultry and fish depending on the cut):

• Whole poultry: 82°C

• Ground poultry, poultry pieces: 74°C

• Food with poultry, eggs, meat, or fish: 74°C

• Seafood: 74°C

• Pork and other ground meat: 71°C

• Fish: 70°C

Keep foods out of the “danger zone” (4°C to 60°C) by preparing them quickly and serving them immediately. Cool any leftovers quickly by:

• Portioning  large batches into smaller conatiers
• Placing food in the fridge after eating

Microwave cooking:

• Cover and stir food often to ensure it is evenly heated

For more details, visit Health Canada’s Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures for proper cooking temperatures of high risk food items.

How can we ensure food safety in schools?

If you’re involved in school activities like healthy snack/hot lunch programs, barbecues, fundraisers or classroom events, safe food handling is essential to keep kids healthy.

Here’s what you should know:

• Any food prepared and served at schools must meet these regulations and must be routinely inspected by a Public Health Inspector. Learn more about the requirements for Ontario’s Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17). This includes cafeterias, before and after care programs and healthy snack/hot lunch programs

• Volunteers and staff may need food handler training for large events or food programs.

• Learn more about being a part of the food handler training and certification 

• Contact your school’s administration or public health for guidance.