Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding residents to focus on the safe handling and preparation of food as September marks National Food Safety Education Month. This period coincides with various gatherings such as Labor Day weekend cookouts and football tailgate parties, which can be compromised by unsanitary practices.

“Fall in Illinois is synonymous with food and football,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “As Labor Day approaches, marking the unofficial end of summer, IDPH is commemorating Food Education Safety Month this September and encouraging our residents to follow simple rules for handling and preparing food to ensure safety and prevent illness.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 48 million people in the U.S., or one in six Americans, contract some form of foodborne illness annually. These illnesses result in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, fever, and chills. Of these cases, 128,000 lead to hospitalization, and an estimated 3,000 deaths are attributed to foodborne illness each year.

Foodborne illness is preventable by following basic safety guidelines: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

Clean: Wash hands and surfaces frequently.

- Germs that cause food poisoning can survive in many places and spread easily. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm or cold water before, during, after preparing food, and before eating.

- Ensure everything touching food is clean including hands, surfaces, cutting boards, utensils, and coolers.

- Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate.

- Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat foods unless kept separate.

- Keep raw meat products separate from ready-to-eat foods while shopping or storing them in a refrigerator or cooler.

- Use separate cutting boards and plates for fruits/vegetables versus raw meat products.

Cook: Ensure cooked food reaches a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria.

- The only way to tell if food is safely cooked is by using a food thermometer.

- Check if foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature using a thermometer. Different foods have different minimum cooking temperatures for safety. Refer to the Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart provided by the USDA.

Chill: Refrigerate food promptly.

- Raw meat/poultry and cooked leftovers need prompt chilling to prevent bacterial growth.

- Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than two hours or one hour if above 90°F.

- Place food into shallow containers immediately for fast cooling when refrigerating or freezing.

Additionally, it’s recommended to ask guests about food allergies and be aware of the nine major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish; tree nuts; peanuts; wheat; soybeans; sesame). This includes reading labels carefully and separating foods containing allergens.

For more information on food safety education visit Food Safety (illinois.gov). IDPH also offers downloadable resources including coloring pages for kids at ABCS of FOOD SAFETY (illinois.gov).

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