USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency 

in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Cleanliness Helps Prevent Foodborne Illness

Spring has long been the time of year for annual cleaning projects around our homes. However, when it comes to safe food handling, everything that comes in contact with food must be kept clean all year long.

Food that is mishandled can lead to foodborne illness. 

While the United States has one of the safest food 

supplies in the world, preventing foodborne illness 

remains a major public health challenge. USDA 

developed the Be Food Safe campaign in cooperation 

with the Partnership for Food Safety Education, FDA, 

and CDC because research shows that Americans are 

aware of food safety, but they need more information to 

achieve and maintain safe food handling behaviors. Be 

Food Safe means preventing foodborne illness through 

four easy steps: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.

•	 Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often. 

•	 Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate. 

•	 Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. 

•	 Chill: Refrigerate promptly. 

Cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne 

illness. Even with food safety inspection and monitoring 

at Federal, State, and local government facilities, the 

consumer’s role is to make sure food is handled safely 

after it is purchased. Everything that touches food 

should be clean. Listed below are steps we can take to 

help prevent foodborne illness by safely handling food in 

the home: 

1. Always wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 

seconds:

•	 before and after handling food

•	 after using the bathroom

•	 after changing a diaper

•	 after handling pets

•	 after tending to a sick person

•	 after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing

•	 after handling uncooked eggs or raw meat,

poultry, or fish and their juices.

2. If your hands have any kind of skin abrasion or 

infection, always use clean disposable gloves. 

Wash hands (gloved or not) with warm, soapy 

water.

3. Thoroughly wash with hot, soapy water all surfaces 

that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, fish,

and eggs before moving on to the next step in food 

preparation. Consider using paper towels to clean 

kitchen surfaces. If you use dishcloths, wash them 

often in the hot cycle of your washing machine. 

Keep other surfaces, such as faucets and counter 

tops, clean by washing with hot, soapy water.
Food Safety Questions?

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

 Revised March 2011

Cleanliness Helps Prevent Foodborne Illness

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety 

education purposes. However, USDA symbols or logos may not be used separately to 

imply endorsement of a commercial product or service. 

4. To keep cutting boards clean, wash them in hot, 

soapy water after each use; then rinse and air or 

pat dry with clean paper towels. Cutting boards 

can be sanitized with a solution of 1 tablespoon

unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of 

water. Flood the surface with the bleach solution 

and allow it to stand for several minutes; then 

rinse and air or pat dry with clean paper towels.

Non-porous acrylic, plastic, glass, and solid wood 

boards can be washed in a dishwasher (laminated 

boards may crack and split). Even plastic boards 

wear out over time. Once cutting boards become 

excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, 

replace them.

5. Don’t use the same platter and utensils that held 

the raw product to serve the cooked product. Any 

bacteria present in the raw meat or juices can 

contaminate the safely cooked product. Serve 

cooked products on clean plates, using clean 

utensils and clean hands.

6. When using a food thermometer, it is important 

to wash the probe after each use with hot, soapy 

water before reinserting it into a food.

7. Keep pets, household cleaners, and other 

chemicals away from food and surfaces used for 

food.

8. When picnicking or cooking outdoors, take plenty 

of clean utensils. Pack clean, dry, and wet and 

soapy cloths for cleaning surfaces and hands. 

Because bacteria are everywhere, cleanliness is a 

major factor in preventing foodborne illness. By 

keeping everything clean that comes in contact with 

food, consumers can be assured they are helping to do 

their part to Be Food Safe.

If you have a question about 

meat, poultry or egg products, call the USDA Meat 

and Poultry 

Hotline toll free at 

1-888-MPHotline

or 1-888-674-6854.

The hotline is open 

year-round Monday 

through Friday

 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST 

(English or Spanish). 

Listen to timely

 recorded food safety 

messages at the

 same number 

24 hours a day. 

Check out the 

FSIS Web site at 

www.fsis.usda.gov

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response 

system can provide food safety 

information 24/7 

and a

live chat 

during 

Hotline 

hours.

AskKaren.gov

PregunteleaKaren.gov