If you have ever suffered from a foodborne illness, you know it is no joke! Every year in the United States 48 million people fall ill from contaminated food. Of those, 120,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses each year. Those statistics are sobering for a modern nation. September has been designated as National Food Safety Month since every table deserves to be safe.

Basic food safety habits like washing your hands and cooking food to the right temperature are important no matter where you are eating. Leftovers and perishable foods should be refrigerated within two hours and eaten within three to four days to reduce the risk of getting sick from bacteria. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be rinsed under running water to remove dirt and reduce germs that might cause illness. Keep raw meat, poultry, and eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods like produce. This practice will reduce the risk of cross-contamination from bacteria. Remember these four steps to keep food safe: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

Marinating food is a great way to add flavor while tenderizing meats. However, there are some food safety concerns when it comes to marinating raw meats. If a marinade is contaminated with raw meat, it should be kept away from ready-to-eat foods. Resealable food-safe plastic bags are great for use when marinating foods since you can throw them away when you are finished. You can also use plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers to marinate in. Just remember to properly clean and sanitize them afterwards. You should always marinate food in the refrigerator to keep it out of the temperature danger zone where bacteria can grow rapidly. A marinade that was used on raw meat or poultry should not be reused unless you boil it to kill any harmful bacteria. The best bet is to reserve some of the marinade before adding the raw meat if you would like to use some for basting during the cooking process.

Using a food thermometer will help you know when food has been cooked to safe temperatures. You can find a temperature chart that can be downloaded and printed at FoodSafety.gov. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit; ground meats to 160 degrees Fahrenheit; and whole cuts of beef and pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (with a rest time of 3 minutes after cooking).