Cooking  /  Food Safety at Home

Bacteria are everywhere and while most are harmless or even beneficial to humans, others can make you sick. All foods, including meat, fruits, and vegetables have the potential to cause food-borne illness. The unfortunate truth is that most North American homes don't exercise good food safety practices at home and over 80% of all cases of food-borne illness can be prevented by handing food properly.

As a founding member of the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education, a national association of public and private organizations committed to educating Canadians about the ease and importance of food safety in the home, we have a role to play in raising awareness to help you ensure your homes are safe and bacteria-free.

Once again, children are heading back to school and it’s time to remember the basics for sending them off with safe (and healthy) lunches.

We’ve heard for years that chicken needs to be handled and cooked properly because of the potential for harmful bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere though, and while most are harmless or even beneficial to humans, some can make us sick. All foods, including meat, fruits, and vegetables, have the potential to cause food-borne illness and proper care needs to be taken when handling, cooking, storing or serving all foods. But, what are the proper methods for the safe handling and cooking of chicken?

Did you know that many cases of foodborne illness results from poor food handling at home? Your kitchen could be a high risk environment. Bacteria can thrive in food that is improperly stored or handled. Reduce the risks by following these tips from Canada's food safety experts. Play it “food safe” in your kitchen!

Proper cooking times are not just about safety. In fact, most Canadians overcook their chicken, which can leave it dry. Use the following chart to make sure that your chicken is cooked to perfection.

How and how long you store chicken is very important to keeping your food safe. When freezing chicken, always label it so you know how long it's been in your freezer.