Handling food safely is super important. The risk of getting sick at home are more common than you think. The four easy lessons of CLEAN, SEPARATE, COOK and CHILL can help you prevent harmful bacteria from making your family sick. Bacteria are all around us. While most are harmful (some are even beneficial), others can make you sick.

CLEAN

Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen on hands, cutting boards, knives, and counter tops. Frequent cleaning can keep that from happening. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

SEPARATE

Cross-contamination is how harmful bacteria spread. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices away from foods that won’t be cooked.

COOK

The improper heating and preparation of food means bacteria can survive. Use a food thermometer every time – you can’t tell if food is cooked safely by how it looks.

CHILL

Bacteria can multiply fastest at temperatures between 4°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F), so chilling food properly is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of getting sick.

Check out this cute video from the Food Safety Guy!