AARP Smart Guide to Food Safety

7. Get yourself organized

When preparing a meal, gather the kitchenware and all the ingredients before you start chopping and measuring. You’ll touch fewer surfaces like cabinets if your measuring spoons, knives, cutting boards, bowls, pans, pots and utensils are already out. The same goes for the trash can and compost pail. “I pull out everything I need before I start,” says Craig. “I also open the dishwasher so I can add used things without touching the handle. It’s another way to cut the risk of contaminating surfaces.”

8. Rinse this, not that

Clean fruits and vegetables under a gentle stream of cold tap water. Scrub melons, winter squash, potatoes and firm veggies with a clean brush to remove surface dirt and germs that could otherwise get inside when you cut the produce. (Adding salt or something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice, or using a commercial produce wash doesn’t seem to be any better than tap water, according to FoodSafety.gov, a website from the federal Department of Health and Human Services.) Dry with a clean paper towel. It’s OK not to wash bagged greens labeled “washed,” “triple-washed,” or “ready to eat”; extra washing isn’t likely to remove cyclospora. Instead, remain alert to food recalls, and toss any produce linked to the outbreak.

You may have been taught to rinse raw chicken, meats or seafood, but you shouldn’t. It doesn’t kill germs on raw meats and seafood; it simply splashes them around, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the USDA. Don’t wash commercially packaged eggs, either. Wash water could penetrate the porous shells, boosting the risk of contamination. Eggs sold by a neighbor with a backyard flock must meet state requirements for safe shell-cleaning and storage. Make sure any eggs you buy are clean, uncracked and refrigerated, the FDA recommends.

9. Use a food thermometer

Only a food thermometer will tell you whether a food is heated enough to kill disease-causing bacteria, says Londa Nwadike, professor and head of the department of dairy and food science at South Dakota State University. 

There’s no need to spring for a high-end, high-tech thermometer, Craig says. An inexpensive instant-read thermometer with a probe on one end and a dial or digital display on the other should work fine. Pop-up doneness timers in poultry are fairly reliable, says the USDA, but you should still check the internal temperature with a food thermometer.

“Place the probe in the thickest part of the food, away from bone, which heats up more quickly than muscle,” Craig says. “If a food has an irregular shape, check at several spots.” She notes that precooked proteins like ham, precooked sausages, hot dogs and leftovers should also be cooked to a safe temperature. Safe internal temperatures are 160°F for hamburger, ground pork and egg dishes; 145°F for beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts, pork and fish; and 165°F for all poultry, precooked ham (140°F is OK for hams packaged at a USDA-inspected plant) and reheated leftovers, including previously cooked meats, soup, gravy, stew and casserole, according to the USDA. Cook hot dogs until they’re steaming.

And keep that thermometer food-safe: Wash off the probe with hot, soapy water, then rinse and dry it, following the manufacturer’s instructions, before and after every use, the USDA advises.

10. Protect your digital devices

Plenty of home cooks consult recipes on their smartphone or tablet while whipping something up in the kitchen, or use their devices as cooking timers. Pathogens like salmonella and E. coli can survive on the screen for up to 24 hours. Wrapping your phone in plastic wrap, putting it in a zipper-lock bag or using a hands-free stand will help keep it clean. However, it’s still important to wash your hands frequently and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for sanitizing your device before and after cooking, Craig says.

11. Keep slow cooker meals safe

“Most slow cookers run between 170 and 280 degrees Fahrenheit, so the low setting is fine for safe, slow, all-day cooking,” says Bruning. Use a food thermometer to ensure foods are cooked to the proper internal temperature before serving, she adds. Frozen meats or poultry should be fully thawed before adding them to the cooker; otherwise the ingredients may not reach a safe cooking temperature quickly enough. Lift the lid as little as possible, as doing so drops the temperature in the cooker by 10 to 15 degrees. And don’t reheat foods in your cooker. “Food should be reheated on a stovetop or microwave,” Bruning says. Once it reaches 165°F, it can be held in a preheated slow cooker on the warm setting for up to four hours, or as directed by the manufacturer.

12. Master the art of air frying

Two out of three U.S. households have an air fryer in their kitchen, according to data analytics firm Circana. These smart appliances let you cook or heat food fast, with less fat and oil. 

But don’t overfill the basket — this can lead to undercooking, the USDA warns. Additionally, don’t line the bottom of the fry basket with foil or parchment paper; this can block the flow of hot air, also resulting in uneven, undercooked foods. To keep food from sticking, it’s OK to cut parchment paper to the size of the food itself and use it underneath. 

Even if the exterior of your food, particularly meat, looks fully cooked, check the internal temperature with your food thermometer.

13. Finish the job

After you prep raw meats, poultry, seafood or eggs, clean and sanitize your counters and kitchenware. “Clean off the countertop well with hot, soapy water; rinse and dry with a clean paper towel,” Craig says. Then sanitize with either a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid bleach in a gallon of water or a product that’s safe for food-contact surfaces and recommended for your countertops. Cutting boards, knives and other utensils can go in the dishwasher. This is the last step for food-contact surfaces, to make sure you’re not transferring bacteria.

SIDESTEP COMMON DANGERS

14. Stay out of the kitchen if you’ve got a stomach bug

Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps or diarrhea could indicate norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. This highly contagious bug causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal system and leads to over 100,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths a year, mostly in older adults, according to the CDC. 

Don’t handle food for at least two to three days after your symptoms resolve. Keep washing your hands, and make sure anyone who’s taking care of you does the same — hand sanitizer isn’t effective against norovirus.

15. Pass on raw sprouts

Tiny, nutritious sprouts from alfalfa, clover, mung bean or radish seeds add crunch to sandwiches and salads. But their seeds can harbor illness-causing germs that multiply in the warm, moist growing conditions used for sprouting. That’s why health organizations recommend avoiding raw sprouts completely if you’re 65 or older, have a compromised immune system or are pregnant. 

Ask delis and restaurants not to add raw sprouts to your sandwich or salad. Or cook them thoroughly. If you’re younger than 65, healthy and want to eat raw sprouts, look for crisp, not limp or mushy, sprouts in refrigerated cases at the supermarket. Keep them refrigerated at home, and rinse before using. 

16. Skip unpasteurized dairy products, cider and juices

“Raw” unpasteurized milk and dairy products like yogurt, ice cream and cheese can harbor germs such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria or campylobacter, any of which could trigger a severe or even fatal illness. In late 2024, the bird flu virus (a.k.a. the H5N1 avian flu virus) was also detected in some unpasteurized dairy products, prompting new warnings. Yet only 56 percent of adults in a 2025 national poll from the University of Pennsylvania knew that raw milk was risky.

It’s legal to sell unpasteurized milk products in some states, but “just because raw milk is legal to obtain in your state does not mean it is safe to drink,” notes the CDC. A better idea: Stick with pasteurized milk, dairy and juice products, which have been heated to kill health-threatening bacteria and viruses.

17. Be wary of cookie dough

Uncooked flour and raw eggs in doughs and batters can harbor bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. Resist the temptation to eat cookie dough made at home or store-bought types meant to be baked, and don’t use homemade, uncooked cookie dough in desserts. According to the CDC, it is safe to use commercial edible cookie doughs made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs. Meanwhile, flour itself can contain E. coli and salmonella, and flour and baking soda mixes have been recalled several times in recent years by the FDA. If you’ve got bags or boxes in your pantry or freezer, check for recalls on the FDA’s website.

18. Rethink deli slices

In 2024, a listeria outbreak sent 60 Americans to the hospital, killed 10 and led to the recall of millions of pounds of deli meat. People 65 and older are four times more likely than any other age group to be infected with listeria, which can cause fever, flu-like symptoms, vomiting and diarrhea. It’s most often found in ready-to-eat meats, soft cheeses and store-made salads.

Older adults can reduce their risk by avoiding deli-sliced cold cuts and cheeses (which can pick up listeria from slicing equipment) as well as premade coleslaw, potato salad and tuna salad, according to the CDC. 

If you do choose to eat deli meat, heat it to 165°F or until steaming hot right before using, the CDC suggests. This reduces any germs to safe levels. It’s fine to let it cool off for a few minutes before using it in an otherwise cold sandwich.

SHOPPING FOR FOOD

19. Clean reusable grocery bags regularly

Harmful bacteria can survive on grocery bags for up to three weeks. “Bits of food or liquid from foods that get caught in bags can provide an ideal environment for bacteria,” says Lester Schonberger, an associate extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech University. Regularly machine- or hand-wash bags, depending on the material they’re made from. Store them in an area where they’ll stay dry, not in your trunk, which is humid and warm. And don’t use them for other purposes, such as toting your gym sneakers.

Designating bags for specific foods — like canned goods, dairy, meat and produce — can help prevent cross-contamination, too. Schonberger recommends sanitizing bags with a food-safe sanitizing product, and replacing worn bags.

20. Shop strategically

First, pick up nonperishables such as canned goods, beans, grains, breakfast cereal and pasta, as well as paper goods, cleaning supplies and personal care products. Then move on to produce, animal proteins (put chicken, meat and seafood in bags found in the meat department, or use some from the produce department) and frozen food. Keep animal proteins separate from other foods at checkout, and bag them separately to prevent drips onto other foods.

If you have several errands to run, hit the supermarket last so you can head straight home to put perishables in the fridge or freezer. Keeping bags in the air-conditioned part of the car on hot days also helps. When you get home, put away frozen and cold foods first. Refrigerate hot foods or heat them up right away if you’ll be eating them shortly.

21. Factor in label dates

With the exception of infant formulas, the “use by,” “best by,” “freeze by” and “sell by” dates on foods aren’t actual expiration dates, though they do tell us how long a food’s flavor or texture will be ideal. “They’re meant to communicate information about food quality and not safety,” Schonberger says.

Of course, perishables like meat and dairy products have a shorter shelf life than canned soup or a box of dry spaghetti. If you’re buying meat close to the use-by or freeze-by date, either use it in the next few days or freeze it. Eat deli salads, sandwiches and other prepackaged, ready-to-eat foods within four days of the “made on” date, and be sure to keep them in the refrigerator until then. If there’s no date on the label, ask a store employee. 

According to the USDA, high-acid foods like canned fruit and canned tomatoes maintain their best quality for 12 to 18 months, while lower-acid canned foods like vegetables and meats maintain their quality for two to five years from the label date. Uncooked dry rice and pasta are good for about two years, in terms of quality.

22. Pass up foods with these trouble signs

Don’t buy or use canned foods if the can is bulging, rusted, or has a dent that’s sharp, deep or along a seam, Schonberger says. The same goes for jars with lids that are bulging, dented or leaking. “Check when you buy, and again before you use,” Schonberger suggests. Fresh meat is still OK if the characteristic red tones of beef and lamb and the pinkish tones of pork, veal and poultry have faded or darkened slightly, according to the USDA. But don’t buy any product that has an off-odor or is sticky, tacky or slimy to the touch. Pass up fresh seafood with a sour, fishy or ammonia-like odor. Do the same with produce that’s mushy, slimy, moldy or smells bad.

23. Put food deliveries away promptly

If you have your groceries delivered or are expecting a shipment of edible goods, plan to be home when the delivery arrives so you can get perishables into the fridge or freezer right away, Bruning says. It’s also smart to ask in advance how a store, food company or delivery service keeps its foods cold in transit, such as in freezers, refrigerated trucks or coolers with ice packs. Check when it arrives. Perishables should still be frozen, partially frozen with visible ice crystals on the food or at least as cold as in a refrigerator, 40°F and below. If they’re warmer than that, abstain.

“Always inspect food before storing or eating, regardless of where it came from,” Bruning says. “Contamination, dirt, blemishes, mold [and] spoilage can happen at any food procurement and preparation stage. If food smells spoiled at any time, do not eat it.” If you have concerns, contact the company about a refund or delivery of a new order; provide photos and other information if required. But don’t taste or cook the food — throw it out.

FOOD STORAGE

24. Put a thermometer in your fridge

“Most refrigerators have a built-in thermometer, but you should also keep an appliance thermometer in the warmest part of your fridge — the front of the top shelf, close to the door — to make sure your food is being kept cold enough to stop growth of disease-causing pathogens,” Craig says. The thermometer should read 40°F or below, though much lower than 40 isn’t necessary: “If the temperature is too low, depending on how your refrigerator is packed, food could start freezing.”

Foods kept at 40°F or below last longer and are safer than those stored at even slightly higher temperatures, because colder temperatures slow the growth of pathogens. In a 2024 Dutch study of 534 home refrigerators, one-third of them measured higher than 42.8 degrees. Older adults were most likely to have theirs set too high, raising their risk for listeria infection.

Keep your fridge and freezer parts clean, too. Dirty door gaskets can cause air leaks, and dirty condenser coils may not function well, making it difficult to maintain the right temperature. Wipe down the gaskets, and follow the directions in your owner’s manual for cleaning the coils.

25. Stock your fridge strategically

Put meat, fish and poultry on the lowest shelf so juices can’t drip on other foods, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends. Store dairy and orange juice near the back of the fridge on the bottom shelf, where it’s coldest. Use one crisper bin for fruit and another for vegetables; separating produce keeps veggies away from the natural gas emitted by fruit, which can make produce age faster. 

Keep eggs in the store carton rather than the egg holder on the fridge door — this keeps them from absorbing food odors and lets you store them in a cooler area of the refrigerator. Condiments can go in the door. Don’t overload your fridge or block air vents, since this can hinder air circulation. Clean up spills promptly, and check once a week for food that’s going bad.

Consult FoodSafety.gov’s FoodKeeper app to find out exactly how long that half-can of anchovies, carton of milk or those bison steaks will stay fresh in the fridge. It is available as a free app on Android and iPhones (and tablets) and can be found in their respective app stores. 

Ground meat, chicken and seafood are good in the fridge for one to two days after purchase. Store-made entrees and sides, three to four days. Steaks, chops and roasts, three to five days. Eggs, three to five weeks. Condiments like ketchup, mustard and relish are good for six months to a year after opening. Use leftovers stored in the fridge within three to four days of making them or opening the package, the USDA recommends. After that, freeze them.

26. Know how to freeze … and refreeze

Don’t just toss unmarked containers of extra soup and big bags of veggies into the freezer. Mark the package with the date (and what the item is, if it isn’t obvious) so you’ll know how long it has been in there and whether you can thaw and enjoy it without losing texture. Keep your freezer at or below 0°F. Thaw food in the fridge to discourage bacterial growth, Craig says. This could take up to a day, while something big, like a brisket for a major family get-together, could take longer. Smaller frozen items can be thawed faster on your microwave’s defrost setting or in cold water. 

To thaw in water, make sure the item, such as chicken parts or hamburgers, is in a leakproof bag. Submerge in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes so it doesn’t get so cold that your item doesn’t defrost quickly. 

Once the item is thawed, cook it immediately. Don’t leave frozen perishables out to defrost on the counter or soak in hot water, because bacteria can grow in warmed-up parts of the food.

Changed your mind about dinner? Craig says it’s safe to refreeze uncooked perishables you’ve thawed in the refrigerator for up to a day.

OUTDOORS AND AWAY FROM HOME

27. Be picky at the picnic

“Any food that has been out too long — two hours; one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter — has an increased chance of causing illness,” Bruning says. Classic picnic culprits are cold mixed dishes like egg, chicken, pasta and potato salads. Contrary to lore, the mayonnaise itself isn’t the threat. Rather, the whole dish hasn’t been cooked; it has a variety of ingredients and is dense. 

“If one ingredient was contaminated, the entire dish would be, and there has been no cooking process to eliminate this pathogen,” says Bruning. Keeping foods out longer than recommended gives those bad bugs time to multiply.

28. Grill and smoke food safely

Marinate meats in the fridge, and toss the sauce afterward. Use a food thermometer. Don’t serve cooked food on plates that held raw proteins. Keep your hands washed outdoors, too. If you won’t have access to running water, bring hand sanitizer or containers of fresh water, soap and a bucket for used wash water. 

29. Store like with like

Beverages and foods should be stored in separate coolers. It’s also smart to transport and store meats and other proteins separately from other foods like salads, rolls and desserts. If you’re transporting hot foods in a cooler, first fill it with hot water to heat it up, then drain it before putting the food containers inside. Travel with coolers of chilled food in the air-conditioned part of your vehicle, and place them in the shade when you arrive.

30. Know when to let go

“Don’t save perishable foods that haven’t been held at proper temperatures,” Bruning advises. “Additionally, in a social setting where folks are serving themselves, the food has not been monitored, and contamination or cross-contamination may have occurred without you realizing it, putting foods at risk for causing illness. Don’t save them.”

No one likes to waste food, but it’s not worth taking chances. As food safety professionals say: When in doubt, throw it out.