Making sure your food is cooked to the right temperature is about more than taste; it's also about safety. When handling chicken, beef, turkey, fish and other items, we need to be very careful to cook the food to an internal temperature that will destroy any harmful organisms. Below are the minimum internal temperatures to which each food should be prepared:

Food safety is always important, but it's especially important in times of crises when stress is high and routines change. Practicing good food safety techniques can keep your family healthy and safe while enabling good nutrition at the same time.

Storing your leftovers can be just as important as how you prepare your food. Storing them improperly can lead to poor quality, or worse, contaminated food. Freezing food for long periods of time (at or below 0circ F) is a safe bet to prevent any contamination by harmful bacteria or viruses. However, with certain foods, freezing for too long can affect the quality when thawed. When it comes to refrigeration, foods can be kept anywhere from one day to several months, depending upon the food item. In order to find specific information on how long a food can be kept refrigerated, go to USDA.gov and find the Food Safety Basics page. Here are some general reminders when storing food:

www.CDC.gov www.USDA.gov

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. Kentucky State University, University of Kentucky, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky Counties, Cooperating. 2020 KYSU-CEP-FAC-0042