By observing a few simple precautions in your home, you can reduce the risk of contracting food poisoning (or "foodborne illness").

COOK: meat, poultry, and eggs thoroughly. Cook all poultry thoroughly to an inside temperature of 170ºF (77ºC) for breast meat, and 180ºF (82ºC) for thigh meat.

Ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed. Use a digital instant-read thermometer to ensure thorough cooking. Ground beef should be cooked until a thermometer inserted into several parts of the patty, including the thickest part, reads at least 160?F. The risk of contracting an illness increases when consuming beef patties that are still pink in the middle. Wash the meat thermometer in between tests of patties that require further cooking.

Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider. Avoid consuming unpasteurized or raw dairy products and eggs. Raw eggs may be unrecognized in foods such as homemade hollandaise sauce, Caesar and other homemade salad dressings, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, homemade mayonnaise, cookie dough, and frostings. Drink and/or use municipal water that has been treated with chlorine or another effective disinfectant.

SEPARATE: Avoid cross-contamination of foods. Uncooked meats should be kept separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, counters, cutting boards, knives, and other utensils thoroughly with hot soapy water after contact with or handling uncooked foods, such as raw meat or poultry.

To avoid recontamination, place cooked meat on a clean platter, and not on surfaces that held raw meat.

Prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen by using separate cutting boards for foods of animal origin and other foods

CHILL: Because bacteria can grow quickly at room temperature, you should refrigerate leftovers promptly, especially if they are not going to be eaten within 4 hours. Dividing large volumes of food into several shallow containers for refrigeration ensures that the food will cool more quickly.

CLEAN: Wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling raw foods of animal origin. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime. Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage. Bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of a fruit or vegetable. Be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them on a cutting board and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for several hours.

Children under the age of 5, immunocompromised persons, and the elderly should avoid eating alfalfa sprouts until their safety can be assured. Those who have a high risk of complications from foodborne illness may wish to eat cooked vegetables and peeled fruits.

Do not work with raw poultry, meat, or other uncooked foods and an infant (e.g. feed, change diaper) at the same time.

Make sure persons with diarrhea, especially children, wash their hands carefully and frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of infection. Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming. Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths with others, and preparing food for others.

Wash hands with soap and water after contact with pet feces.

REPORT: Report suspected food poisoning to your local health department. Infections can arise from various sources and it is important for public health authorities to understand how a particular disease is spreading in order to take appropriate action to stop it. The cooperation of both healthy and ill people in public health investigations is important after an outbreak.

Be particularly careful when preparing food for infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.