General Food Safety Tips for Consumers

To keep protect against foodborne illness, people should, follow these four simple steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill.

People should consult their healthcare provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms of foodborne illnesses like:

• Salmonellosis
• Listeriosis
• E. coli infections
• Hepatitis A infections
• Cyclosporiasis

Consumers should follow these steps for cleaning surfaces that may have been in contact with contaminated food:

• Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
• Wash and sanitize surfaces used to serve or store potentially contaminated products.
• Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.

General Food Safety Tips for Retailers

If retailers and/or other food service operators have handled recalled or other potentially contaminated food in their facilities, they should:

• Contact their local health department and communicate to their customers regarding possible exposure to a pathogen.
• Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
• Wash and sanitize display cases and surfaces used to potentially store, serve, or prepare potentially contaminated foods, such as shopping carts, food storage units, and reusable plastic containers.
• Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
• Conduct regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of cutting boards and utensils used in processing to help minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.

General Tips for Retailers on Handling Recalled Produce 

The tips below can be applied to the handling of most recalled food processed in retail facilities, in order to prevent cross contamination.  These tips are especially important for the handling of recalled produce, or other products processed in retail locations.

• Stop serving or selling recalled produce, whether it is fresh or frozen. Produce stored at cold temperatures can be contaminated. For example, Listeria monocytogenes can grow even at refrigerated or frozen temperatures. There was a listeriosis outbreak linked to frozen vegetables in 2016.
• Keep recalled produce away from other foods and from any equipment, utensils, and linens, among other things.
• Determine if cross-contamination with other foods may have happened.
• Determine the source of the produce, or the supplier if the source of the fresh/frozen produce is unknown.
• Follow the instructions from the source or supplier on how to return or dispose of the recalled produce.
• Your employees should wash their hands thoroughly after handling recalled produce.
• Wash any clothing and linens that have may be contaminated.

Resources:

• Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts
• Outbreaks of Foodborne Illness
• Retail Food Protection
• Selecting and Serving Produce Safely
• 2017 Food Code
• FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety
• FDA District Recall Coordinators (by state)