Food Safety & Sanitation

Tips & Tricks

For the last lesson of our Food Is Medicine course, the lesson topic is food safety and sanitation. This is a public health topic that is near and dear to my heart as a former chef and current ServSafe proctor/instructor.

Too often, I see horribly unsafe food handling habits; I have seen them in restaurants, grocery stores, and even family members' kitchens. Knowing that I watch for these things when we go out to eat, my friends and family members will wait until we've been seated in a restaurant to ask, "So, what did you see? Should we actually eat here?" They often say it in a jesting way, but no one's laughing if they end up having food poisoning.

That said, I am here to provide you all with a fundamental breakdown of food safety and then food sanitation for everyday home cooks. This is not an all encompassing list and there are links within the rest of this article that lead to more helpful information. 

Happy Food, Happy Health

Hailey Dornbusch

Published on 11/18/2025

Basics of Food & Kitchen Safety
  • Never leave cooking food unattended 
  • Keep knives out of reach of children 
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen 
  • Follow appliance instructions 
  • Don’t use stove/oven to heat your home 
  • Avoid loose clothing while cooking 
  • Tie back long hair 
  • Don’t cook if tired or inebriated 
  • Keep a first aid kit in the kitchen 
  • Turn pot handles inward 
  • Falling knives have no handle (aka do NOT try to catch a falling knife)

 

Basics of Food Sanitation
  • Keep raw meats separate from other foods
  • Wash fruits and vegetables 
  • Keep hot food hot and cold food cold 
  • Don’t wash chicken or poultry
  • Thaw food safely (fridge, cold water, or cooking) 
  • Store food within two hours of cooking 
  • Cool hot food before refrigerating with a lid 
  • Keep hands, surfaces, and tools clean