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Avoid Summertime Sickness With Proper Food Safety

Follow these guidelines to keep from making someone you know or love sick.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Today is World Food Safety Day and it's a great time to remember safe food practices.

Summer brings more opportunities for food poisoning because bacteria thrive in warm, moist temperatures. Foodborne illnesses make 48 million people sick every year in the U.S. And young kids, elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable.

RELATED: Perdue Foods recalling more than 31,000 pounds of chicken products due to possible extraneous material

The Partnership for Food Safety Education says you need to take four steps:

Clean your hands and surfaces.

 Recent research shows cross-contamination is a big problem, especially in kitchens. Bacteria spread from dirty hands to food or from contaminated foods to surfaces or hands. So make sure you clean all surfaces and wash your hands consistently.

Separate Raw foods and ready-to-eat foods.

A lot of foods naturally carry bacteria until they're cooked. SO make sure you keep that raw chicken far away from the potato salad. And while we're talking about chicken, don't rinse it before you cook it. You're just spreading bacteria around your sink and countertop. And, again, wash your hands regularly. 

RELATED: VERIFY: Can You Safely Wash, Eat Moldy Strawberries?

Cook foods to a safe internal temperature

The best way to make sure that chicken is okay to eat? Cook it thoroughly! It needs to have an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Experts recommend food thermometers for all poultry and meats. Temperature charts can make it easier to tell what's necessary to kill all the bacteria without overcooking. 

Finally, Chill!

All your perishable foods need to stay 40 degrees or below. So get them on ice or in the fridge within two hours. And if it's over 90 degrees outside, you have only one hour. 

RELATED: More than 62,000 pounds of raw beef recalled due to E. coli concerns

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