Cooking without contaminating

If you have a weakened immune system, certain foods should be avoided as they’re more likely to be contaminated with potentially harmful microorganisms:

• Raw or undercooked meat, fish, seafood, and eggs (sushi, tartare, mousse, etc.)
• Non-dried processed meats: undercooked hot dogs, baloney, roast beef, turkey breast, refrigerated pâté and meat spreads, ham sliced at the counter
• Raw vegetable sprouts and shoots (alfalfa, clover, radish) and bean sprouts
• Raw beets
• Foods purchased in bulk
• Certain unpasteurized foods: dairy products (milk, cheese), egg whites, honey, fruit juices.

It’s also a good idea to:

• check the expiry date on food packaging;
• buy cold or frozen foods last, just before checkout;
• carefully examine fruits and vegetables and avoid those that are damaged; and
• monitor Health Canada food recalls. 

Here are some hygiene and sanitation tips to reduce the risk of contamination when handling food:

• Wash hands thoroughly (with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds) after:
  • touching high-risk food;
  • going to the washroom; and
  • being in contact with animals, chemicals or sick people.
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water to remove potential contaminants. If necessary, use a soft brush to clean the hard surfaces of foods such as potatoes or carrots. Wash the skin of fruits and vegetables before cutting them (e.g., raw melon).

To avoid cross-contamination between foods, it’s important to separate:

• foods with a high risk of contamination (such as raw meat, fish, seafood and eggs); and
• foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, or those that won’t be cooked afterwards.

Here are some tips to avoid contact between high-risk foods and raw foods:

• Use different cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods.
• Keep raw food in individual plastic bags.

It’s best to cook high-risk foods thoroughly to ensure you destroy any bacteria they may contain.

Ideally, a digital thermometer should be used to check that the internal temperature of meats, poultry, fish, seafood and eggs is safe (at least 74°C, or 165°F).

For more information, visit Health Canada’s Safe icooking temperatures page.

The bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses multiply most rapidly between 4°C and 60°C (40°F and 140°F). Perishable foods and leftovers should therefore be refrigerated quickly, and never left at room temperature for more than two hours (or one hour in summer).

One of the best ways to limit the risk of cross-contamination is to wash the following items regularly in hot, soapy water:

• Reusable bags, especially those used to transport high-risk foods
• Sponges and kitchen cloths, which can be breeding grounds for germs. It’s important to change them every day.
• Work surfaces, cutting boards, cookware and kitchen appliances.

Although thorough cleaning reduces the risk of spreading bacteria, it can still leave a few germs behind. That’s why it’s important to disinfect to eliminate germs on surfaces.

To disinfect work surfaces, you can use a food-safe household disinfectant or a “homemade” solution, such as this one:

• Dilute 1/2 teaspoon bleach in 2 cups of water cups in a bottle with a spray nozzle.
• Spray onto surfaces to be disinfected.
• Leave the disinfectant on for about 1 minute.
• Rinse with clean water and pat dry.

Thermoguide, Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec

Food safety for people with weakened immune systems, Health Canada

Public Health Notices – Enteric Illness Outbreak Investigations