Safety Tips for handling and preparing common foods

When handling and preparing common foods, know what to avoid and how to make better choices to
prevent food poisoning!

Meat & Poultry
Avoid: Raw or undercooked meat or poultry
Better choice: Meat or poultry cooked to a safe internal temperature as found on www.FoodSafety.gov. Use
a food thermometer to check.

Seafood
Avoid:
- Raw or undercooked fish, shellfish, or food containing them (sashimi, ceviche, some sushi)
- Refrigerated smoked seafood
Better
- Seafood cooked to 145 degrees Farenheit
- Canned fish and seafood
- Refrigerated smoke seafood in a cooked dish, such as a casserole

Dairy
Avoid: Unpasteurized (raw) milk
Better choice: Pasteurized milk

Eggs
Avoid: Foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as:
- Homemade Caesar salad dressing
- Raw cookie dough
- Eggnog
Better choice: Use pasteurized eggs and egg products when preparing recipes that call for raw or
undercooked eggs

Sprouts
Avoid: Raw or undercooked sprouts, such as alfalfa, bean, or any other sprout
Better choice:
- No sprouts
- Cooked sprouts

Vegetables
Avoid: Unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads
Better choice
- Washed fresh vegetables, including salads
- Cooked vegetables

Cheese
Avoid:
Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized (raw) milk, such as queso fresco, blue-veined, feta, Brie,
Camembert

Better choice:
- Soft cheeses that are clearly labeled "made from pasteurized milk"
- Processed cheeses, cream cheese, mozzarella, hard cheeses

Learn more: www.cdc.gov/foodsafety