Food & Water Safety

It is important to keep ourselves and our families safe from potential Food Borne Illnesses. The incubation period for a Food Borne Illness may be several minutes to several weeks after ingesting the pathogen. Symptoms of a Food Borne Illness may include but not limited to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and flu like symptoms.

If You Suspect Food Borne Illness

Check with your doctor. You can contact the Greenfield Health Department for further information or to report a potential Food Borne Illness.

What Can You Do in Your Home to Prevent Food Poisoning?

• Cook meats and poultry and seafood to proper temperatures
  Use clean a clean food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of foods.
• Do not cross-contaminate
  Separate raw meat, poultry (including eggs) and seafood items from other foods in grocery cart and refrigerator.
  If possible, when cutting raw meats, poultry and seafood products use different cutting boards.
  Use one plate for raw food and another clean plate for cooked food.
• Home Delivery and Meals to Go are perishable and can cause illness if not handled properly
• Practice Safe Thawing
  Foods can be thawed in cold water. Change the water ever half hour.
  Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
  Never thaw foods at room temperature.
  Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in the microwave. If thawing in the microwave make sure to continue the cooking process.
• Properly reheat foods that are all ready pre-cooked
• Remember the 2 hour rule. Any perishable food left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours should be discarded. When temperatures are above 90ºF, discard food after 1 hour.
• Wash hands and surfaces often
  Wash hand with warm water and soap before and after handling food.
  Wash surfaces often with warm water and soap after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food. Periodically, sanitize your kitchen with a kitchen sanitizer. Several commercial products are available for use. A bleach solution (1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water) can be used for sanitizing surfaces.
  Replace cutting boards once they have become worn or develop difficult to clean scratches or grooves.
  Use paper towel to clean up kitchen surfaces. If using cloth towels; wash them frequently in the hottest cycle possible.
  Rinse raw produce in water, if necessary and appropriate use a small vegetable brush to remove surface dirt.

Water Safety

If you have a well make sure to get it tested.