Food Safety
Clean and Separate: Keeping Food Safe At Home
Learn what you can do to keep bacteria from spreading throughout the kitchen onto hands, cutting boards, utensils, counter tops and food. Bacteria can be spread throughout the kitchen and get onto hands, cutting boards, utensils, counter tops and food.
Cook and Chill: Keeping Food Safe At Home
Tips for cooking, chilling, and defrosting foods to help prevent foodborne illness. Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods. Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria.
Storing and Preserving
Tips for storing and preserving food properly to prevent foodborne illness.
Food Safety On The Go
Tips for preparing food for groups, bringing leftovers home, cooking when traveling, and packing lunches.
Handling and Preparing Specific Foods
Information for handling specific foods like eggs, turkey, hamburger, fish, and fruits and vegetables.
Food Safety in Emergencies
Did you know that a national disaster or the loss of power could jeopardize the safety of your food?
Alerts and Food Recalls
A food recall is a voluntary action by a manufacturer or distributor to protect the public from products that may cause health problems or possible death.
Print Materials
Fact sheets, brochures, signs, and other materials that you can print and use.
Getting Sick From Food: Foodborne Illness
Foodborne illness is caused by consuming food or beverages that are contaminated by disease-causing microbes or pathogens. Find out which diseases are spread via food, and what you can do about them.
Food Business Safety
Food safety in restaurants, cafes, and other food and beverage establishments. Including food manager certification, food and beverage establishment licensing, regulations and food code, and more about keeping food safe in food business.
Food Safety in Schools
Food safety information for food workers in schools and childcare, and for parents and caregivers.
There's a lot you can do to handle and prepare your food safely. Learn what you can do to prepare, serve and store food safely.
Food Thermometers: How to Choose and Use One
Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.
Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart
This chart gives short, conservative storage times to protect you from food spoilage (what you risk in long refrigeration) and from taste loss (what happens when food is left too long in the freezer).
Prevent Cross- Contamination
Preventing cross-contamination is a key factor in preventing foodborne illness.
Egg Safety
Eggs can be a part of a healthy diet. However, they are perishable just like raw meat, poultry, and fish. To be safe, they must be properly refrigerated and cooked.
Chicks and Ducklings: Salmonella
Those cute little chicks and ducklings can be a great attraction for children this time of year, but they can also be a source of illness, so it's important for those who handle them to take steps to prevent infection.
Keeping Food Safe During Buffets or Picnics
Buffets or picnics can be a means to transmit disease among your guests if care is not taken in how the food is handled.
Food Safety Outdoors
General rules for outdoor food safety.
Food Safety for Summertime
The number of people who get sick from food poisoning goes up in the summer. Be sure you and your family aren't among them.
Waterborne Illness
Waterborne illness is caused by recreational or drinking water contaminated by disease-causing microbes or pathogens. Of note, many waterborne pathogens can also be acquired by consuming contaminated food or beverages, from contact with animals or their environment, or through person-to-person spread.
Reporting Suspected Foodborne Illness
Please call the Minnesota Department of Health if you suspect you have a foodborne or waterborne illness. MDH will relay the necessary information to the appropriate local health authorities.
Norovirus
Fact sheet that answers common questions about norovirus.
Foodworker Illness Awareness
Workers who prepare food while experiencing diarrhea and/or vomiting are frequently linked to foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants and other retail food outlets. As a food manager or worker you have a responsibility to protect yourself and your guests from foodborne illness.
Turkey: Safe Thawing and Cooking
Food safety tips for handling, thawing, roasting, storing, and reheating turkey.- Preventing Foodborne Illness
There is a lot you can do to handle and prepare your food safely. Learn what you can do to prepare, serve and store food safely. 
Cooking for Groups
Consumer information about preparing and serving food for large groups. Information to help volunteers prepare and serve food safely for large groups such as family reunions, church dinners, and community gatherings.