September is Food Safety Education Month. This year the focus is preventing cross contamination.

1. Separate meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in the grocery cart and refrigerator.
2. Raw chicken does not need to be washed in either water or vinegar before cooking. It is ready to cook. Washing raw poultry can splash germs around the sink and kitchen.
3. Use separate cutting boards and knives for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Use a different cutting board for bread, vegetables, and fruits.
4. If you only have one cutting board, cut produce, bread, and other ready-to-eat foods first, then wash the cutting board with soap and hot water before cutting raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
   • The cutting board should always be washed with soap and hot water between each different food item.
   • Wash hands after handling meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
5. Wash utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with soap and hot water after preparing meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
6. Use separate plates and utensils for raw meat, poultry, and seafood as well as cooked meat, poultry, and seafood.