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Food safety is of utmost importance to staying healthy and avoiding preventable illnesses. Whether you're buying produce at a grocery store or a meal at a restaurant, it's important to follow these five safety tips.

Buy Fresh Food Safely 

When buying food, it helps to know when fresh food appears ripe or over-ripe. Avoid produce that needs to be refrigerated unless it is in a refrigerated case or in ice. Cut fruits and vegetables generally require refrigeration, as their skins help stave off bacterial contamination. Avoid overly bruised fruits and vegetables, and keep an eye on expiration dates for packaged foods.

Store Food Properly 

Store all cut foods in the refrigerator, as well as any dairy items and meat. It's very important that you not place meat on a higher shelf than vegetables, because blood or drippings from raw meat can contaminate vegetables, which can make you sick when eaten. Sometimes cooking eliminates all blood-borne pathogens from contaminated vegetables, but it's better not to take the risk.

Prepare Your Food Safely 

Washing your hands and your food can prevent most food-borne illnesses, but it's also important to prevent cross-contamination. For example, you should never cut up chicken on a wooden cutting board, as salmonella bacteria can seep into the permeable surface of the wood. Use a plastic cutting board for all meat to keep it safe, and wash it thoroughly before cutting vegetables on it. Don't cut raw meat and then use the same knife for vegetables without washing it between uses.

Order Safe Restaurant Food 

When ordering food at a restaurant, remember that you can get sick from eating raw fish or under-cooked egg dishes. If you must eat sushi or sunny side up eggs, be sure to order them in a restaurant you trust, which should have its food safety certification posted visibly in a conspicuous location. Scan reviews and health code violations--these are publicly available--periodically to see if your favorite restaurant is a culprit of unsafe food handling. And of course, trust your instincts. If the place seems dingy or you catch a glimpse of the chef returning from the restroom without washing his hands, steer clear.

Cook Foods at the Right Temperature 

Meat, especially chicken, pork, and fish, need to reach a particular temperature before they can be safely eaten. Make sure you know what the safe cooking temperature of a particular meat is when cooking, and use a meat thermometer to ensure that the food is safely cooked. When cooking chicken, be sure no pink is left in the flesh while cooking. The safest way to ensure your food safety is to use a meat thermometer and cook it past the safe temperature.

Eating different dishes can be a very pleasurable experience, but you need to stay safe. Whether you're cooking in or eating out, it's important to make sure your food is safe and healthy to eat. Using these tips will help you enjoy your favorite foods and try new ones without sacrificing your health.

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