September is National Food Safety Month. ” The Federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually. Each year, these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Following simple food safety tips can help lower your chance of getting sick.

Week 1: Cleaning. Sanitizing. Disinfecting

• Removes food and dirt from a surface
• Reduces pathogens on surfaces to safe levels
• Removes all pathogens from a surface

Week 2: How to Clean & Sanitize Equipment

• Unplug the equipment
• Take the removable parts off it.
• Wash, rinse, and sanitize parts by hand.
• Remove food from equipment surfaces.
• Wash the equipment surfaces using the right cleaner.
• Rinse the equipment surfaces with clean water.
• Sanitize the equipment surfaces.
• Allow surfaces to air-dry. Put the unit back together.

Week 3: Cleaning & Sanitizing Dishes

• Scrape items before washing them. If necessary, items can be rinse or presoaked. This may be necessary when handling items with dried-on food.

• Use the correct dish racks. Load them so the water spray will reach all surfaces. NEVER overload dish racks

• Air-dry all items. NEVER use a towel to dry items. Doing this could contaminate the items. Make sure they are completely dry before stacking or storing them.

Week 4: Cleaning & Sanitizing Your Operations (home)

• Follow the instruction on the label for all cleaners
• Keep nonfood-contact surfaces clean
• Store chemicals according to their labels and always away from food and food contact surfaces.

Although these tips are more for the people who work in the food industry. You can always apply them for home use. But for more information visit https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-safety-education-month

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