Clean. Separate. Cook. Chill.

Four reminders for doing your part to make sure that the foods you prepare and serve for your family are safe to eat.

Keys to safely handling raw chicken: Be aware of what the chicken is touching. Wash your hands between handling raw chicken and moving on to a clean surface. Store chicken at the appropriate temperatures until you're ready to cook and serve.

At the store: When shopping, pick up fresh chicken last. Choose packaged chicken in which the meat appears pink, not gray or off-color. Don't be concerned if the chicken skin appears yellow; either yellow or white is normal. Make sure the package is tightly sealed and cold to the touch. Buy chicken before the "sell-by" date. Bag fresh chicken packages separately from other groceries.

In the kitchen: Unpack chicken and other perishables first, and refrigerate until ready to prepare or freeze. Make sure the refrigerator temperature is set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below; the freezer should be set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Refrigerate fresh chicken in its original package on a low shelf for up to two days. Freeze uncooked chicken that won't be used within that time. For extra protection, place chicken in a plastic bag to separate it from other foods and to prevent it from dripping onto other items in the refrigerator. Always use chicken by the "use-by" date, unless you plan to freeze it. When freezing, remove chicken from the package, and wrap it in freezer wrap or tightly sealed freezer bags to prevent "freezer burn." Frozen chicken will keep from nine months to a year if properly wrapped and kept in a correctly tempered freezer.

DEFROSTING CHICKEN

• Defrost chicken overnight in the refrigerator and cook within one to two days; during that time chicken can be safely refrozen.

• Chicken can also be defrosted in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure it stays cold.

• Chicken defrosted in the microwave must be cooked immediately.

• Never defrost on the counter.

Maintaining clean hands and surfaces during preparation-

• Wash hands thoroughly in warm or hot, soapy water after handling raw chicken.

• Use separate cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination, one for raw meats and one for fruits and vegetable. Wash with hot, soapy water, or in the dishwasher. A solution of one tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water may be used to sanitize surfaces.

• Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended as bacteria in poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces.

CHECKING DONENESS

• It's always a good idea to read the labels and any icons on the package. Some prepared products may look cooked even when they aren't. If so, that's plainly stated on the label. Be sure to follow label directions and icons, including directions to cook the product in a conventional oven rather than in the microwave.

• Be sure your chicken is cooked to the recommended internal temperature: 180° F

• Whole Chicken, Turkey, Cornish: 180 degrees F.

• Drums, Legs, Thighs, Wings, Breasts: 180 degrees F.

• Boneless Thighs, Boneless Breasts: 170 degrees F.

• Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey: 165 degrees F.

• Foods already fully cooked, but held warm to serve: 140-165 degrees F

HOLDING AND STORING COOKED CHICKEN

• The "danger zone" within which unsafe bacteria grows quickest is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't leave cooked chicken out at room temperature for more than two hours.

• Cooked chicken can be refrigerated for three to four days.

• Chicken salad mixed with mayonnaise can be kept in the refrigerator for three to five days, but cannot be frozen.

Washing your hands to avoid cross contamination-

• Soap and running water, preferably warm or hot, is the most effective way to clean hands before and after handling raw poultry, meat or seafood.

• Rub hands together to create a lather for about 20 seconds (about the amount of time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song), and rinse under running water.

• Dry hands with a clean paper towel that you can then use to turn off the faucet.

• If soap and water aren't available, rub hands and fingers all over with an alcohol-based gel sanitizer until dry.

KEEPING REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER CLEAN, COLD

• Wipe up spills immediately with hot, soapy water; rinse with clean water.

• Once a week, throw out leftovers that shouldn't be eaten. Follow these refrigerator storage rules of thumb:

• Cooked leftovers should be discarded after four days.

• Raw poultry and ground meats should be frozen or discarded after two days.

• Refrigerator temperature shouldn't exceed 40 degrees; food will keep longest in the freezer at zero degrees.

BE ASSURE YOUR CHICKEN PASSES INSPECTION

The United States Department of Agriculture inspects all poultry to ensure that it is wholesome, properly labeled, and unadulterated. The processing plant's facilities, equipment and procedures must all pass inspection, after which the poultry can be graded to make sure it meets quality standards. Voluntary grading for quality (USDA Grade A, B, or C) is not mandated by USDA, but some companies choose to do grading since the USDA Grade A mark enhances the product's image with consumers. The highest quality is USDA Grade A, the only grade you are likely to see in retail stores.

More information about USDA's poultry inspection and grading can be found on USDA's Fact Sheet: Inspection & Grading of Meat and Poultry "What are the Differences?"- www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/inspection_&_grading.

Additional information on how to handle, prepare and store foods safely is available at these government websites:

• USDA's "Be Food Safe" reinforces the Four Simple Steps to preventing food borne illness: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill-www.befoodsafe.gov

• USDA's "Is It Done Yet" provides additional guidance on how to properly use a thermometer to assure food is cooked adequately-www.isitdoneyet.gov

• "Thermy" - Thermy is a messenger of a national consumer food safety campaign developed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) designed to promote food thermometer use.-www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/thermy

• Partnership for Food Safety Education-www.fightbac.org.