raw oysters

The safe handling of seafood is essential to reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Follow basic food safety tips for buying, preparing, and storing fish and shellfish — so you and your family can safely enjoy the fine taste and good nutrition of seafood.

Summer months brings out everyone's barbecue grills. But, in warmer temperatures - additional food safety care must be taken because bacteria multiply faster. Following a few simple principles and guidelines can prevent a food illness.

Ready to start grilling hamburgers? Bacteria is of special concern with ground beef - because when beef is ground - more of the meat surface is exposed to potential harmful bacteria. For this reason, ground beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, so as to kill all the bacteria and avoid foodborne illness.

Dinner and a movie date night? Ditch the leftovers, not your date!  Remember, leftovers are only safe for 2 hours at room temperature and won’t last through a movie - and only 1 hour if the temperature is over 90°F. After that time, bacteria growth can occur and cause food illness. Likewise, during warmer months bacteria multiply faster – so keeping food safe is more challenging.

Food safety is especially important for older adults. Older adults should avoid certain foods to protect themselves from foodborne illness and adults 65 and older are at a higher risk for hospitalization and death from foodborne illn