Food Safety: The Complete Guide

Key numbers at a glance

How food makes people sick

Foodborne illness, often called food poisoning, happens when you eat or drink something contaminated with germs, the toxins some germs produce, or harmful chemicals. The CDC estimates that about 48 million people in the US get sick from foodborne illness each year. Most recover at home within a few days, but some infections lead to hospital stays, long-term complications or death, and a large share of cases can be prevented with simple habits in the kitchen.

The main culprits are viruses, bacteria and parasites. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US and spreads easily from an infected person's hands to food. Bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Listeria usually come from animals and their environment and reach food through raw meat, poultry, eggs, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water or soil on produce. A few bacteria, including the ones behind botulism, cause illness mainly through toxins they release into food.

What makes food safety tricky is that contaminated food usually looks, smells and tastes completely normal. The bacteria that make food spoil, giving it an off smell or slimy texture, are generally different from those that make people ill. That is why food safety advice relies on time, temperature and cleanliness rather than on your senses. If you remember one principle from this guide, it is that you cannot tell whether food is safe by looking at it or sniffing it.

Why temperature and time matter

Bacteria multiply fastest between 40°F and 140°F (4°C to 60°C), a range food safety agencies call the danger zone. In that range, numbers can double in as little as 20 minutes, so a dish that starts with a small, harmless amount of bacteria can carry enough to make you sick after a few hours on the counter. Cold slows growth, heat kills most germs, and the less time food spends in between, the safer it is. Some bacteria also form toxins that later cooking or reheating does not destroy, which is why prompt chilling matters as much as thorough cooking.

Who is most at risk

Anyone can get food poisoning, but some people are much more likely to get seriously ill. The groups US agencies single out are adults aged 65 and older, children younger than 5, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant people. Their bodies are less able to fight off infection, so a germ that gives a healthy adult a miserable day can lead to dehydration, a bloodstream infection or kidney damage in someone in these groups.

Weakened immunity covers more people than you might expect. It includes people with diabetes, liver or kidney disease, HIV or cancer, people having chemotherapy or radiation, organ transplant recipients, and anyone taking medicines that suppress the immune system, such as steroids or some treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. If you are in one of these groups, or you cook for someone who is, the extra precautions in this guide are worth following closely.

Pregnancy deserves special mention because of Listeria. Pregnant people are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get listeriosis, and even a mild illness in the parent can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm labor or a life-threatening infection in the newborn. Babies and young children are also at risk because their immune systems are still developing and they dehydrate quickly. Older adults face higher risk partly because stomach acid, which helps kill germs, tends to decrease with age.

The four steps: clean, separate, cook, chill

The CDC, USDA and FDA organize home food safety around four steps. They are simple, but each one blocks a different route by which germs reach your plate, so skipping any one of them leaves a gap. Together they explain nearly every rule of thumb in a safe kitchen, from why you use two cutting boards to why leftovers go in the refrigerator promptly.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before, during and after preparing food, and after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or flour, using the bathroom, changing a diaper or touching pets. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counters with hot, soapy water after each use, especially after raw meat. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking them, and scrub firm produce such as melons with a clean brush. Do not use soap, bleach or produce washes on fruit and vegetables, and do not wash raw chicken or meat, which splashes germs onto the sink and nearby surfaces.

Separate

Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat foods, a process called cross-contamination. Keep them apart in your shopping cart and bags, and store them in sealed containers or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices cannot drip onto other foods. Use one cutting board for raw meat, poultry and seafood and a separate one for produce, bread and cooked foods. Never put cooked food back on a plate or tray that held it raw unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.

Cook

Cooking to the right internal temperature kills harmful germs, and the only reliable way to know you have reached it is a food thermometer. Color and texture are not dependable: a burger can turn brown before it is safe, and some safely cooked poultry stays pink. The next section lists the temperatures to aim for. When microwaving, cover the food, stir and rotate it partway through, and let it stand for the time the label gives, since microwaves heat unevenly and leave cold spots where germs can survive.

Chill

Keep your refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below and your freezer at 0°F (-18°C), and check both with an appliance thermometer, because built-in dials often show settings rather than actual temperatures. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if it has been somewhere hotter than 90°F (32°C), such as a car or a summer picnic. Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave, and never on the counter, where the outside warms into the danger zone while the middle is still frozen.

Safe cooking temperatures and how to use a thermometer

The USDA publishes minimum internal temperatures for meat, poultry, seafood and egg dishes. These are the points at which the germs most likely to be present are killed. Some cuts can be eaten at a lower temperature than others because of where bacteria live: on a whole steak or roast, germs sit mostly on the surface, which gets very hot during cooking, while grinding or mincing mixes surface bacteria all the way through the meat. That is why a steak and a burger from the same animal have different targets.

For roasts, steaks and chops of beef, pork, veal and lamb, the USDA also recommends a 3-minute rest after cooking. During that time the temperature stays steady or keeps rising, which helps finish killing germs. Poultry has a single, higher target whether whole, in pieces or ground, because Salmonella and Campylobacter are common on raw chicken and turkey. Reheated leftovers share that 165°F (74°C) target, since they may have picked up germs after cooking.

• Poultry, whole, pieces or ground, including stuffing: 165°F (74°C)
• Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb: 160°F (71°C)
• Beef, pork, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops: 145°F (63°C), then rest 3 minutes
• Fish and shellfish: 145°F (63°C), or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork
• Egg dishes such as casseroles and quiche: 160°F (71°C)
• Leftovers and casseroles: 165°F (74°C)

Getting an accurate reading

Push the thermometer into the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat and gristle, which can give misleading readings. For a burger, insert it through the side so the tip sits in the middle. For a whole turkey, check the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Check several spots in large items and casseroles. An instant-read digital thermometer is inexpensive and quick, and it is worth cleaning the probe with hot, soapy water after each use so it does not carry raw juices into cooked food.

Avoid partially cooking meat or poultry in advance and finishing it later, for example browning chicken in the morning and roasting it at dinner. Partial cooking warms the food into the danger zone without killing germs, giving them hours to multiply. If you want to prepare ahead, cook food completely, chill it quickly and reheat it to 165°F (74°C) when you serve it.

Leftovers, storage and reading date labels

Leftovers are one of the most common places where good cooking is undone. The problem is usually cooling, not reheating. A big pot of chili or rice left on the stove to cool for hours sits in the danger zone the whole time, and some bacteria, such as those that grow in cooked rice, produce toxins that reheating will not destroy. Divide large amounts into shallow containers so they cool quickly, and put them in the refrigerator within 2 hours. It is fine to refrigerate food while it is still warm.

Use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days, and label containers with the date so you are not guessing. If you will not eat something in that time, freeze it. Food kept at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe indefinitely because germs cannot grow, though quality declines, so most leftovers taste best eaten within about 3 to 4 months. When you reheat, bring food to 165°F (74°C) and bring sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil. Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator or microwave and reheat them right away.

Date labels cause a lot of confusion and waste. Apart from infant formula, federal law does not require date labels on food, and phrases such as "best if used by" generally describe peak quality rather than safety. A food stored properly may still be safe after that date, while a food left on the counter overnight may be unsafe well before it. Infant formula is different: do not use it after its use-by date. For guidance on how long specific foods keep in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry, the USDA FoodKeeper app is a useful reference.

• When in doubt about a leftover, throw it out; tasting it is not a safe test
• Do not keep takeout or party food that has been at room temperature longer than 2 hours
• Pack lunches with at least two cold sources, such as frozen gel packs, in an insulated bag
• Keep hot foods at 140°F (60°C) or above at buffets and potlucks, using chafing dishes or slow cookers
• Clean refrigerator spills right away, especially juices from raw meat, hot dogs and deli meats

Foods that need extra care

Some foods carry higher risk because of how they are produced or eaten. Knowing which ones and why helps you make sensible choices rather than avoiding whole food groups. For most healthy adults the risk from these foods is modest if they are handled well; for the higher-risk groups described earlier, some are best avoided altogether or eaten only when cooked until steaming hot.

Eggs

Salmonella can be present inside eggs that look clean and uncracked. Buy eggs from a refrigerated case, keep them at 40°F (4°C) or below in their carton on a refrigerator shelf rather than the door, and use fresh shell eggs within 3 to 5 weeks of buying them. Cook eggs until both yolks and whites are firm, and cook egg dishes to 160°F (71°C). Do not wash US store-bought eggs, which were already washed commercially. For recipes that use raw or lightly cooked eggs, such as eggnog, homemade mayonnaise or Caesar dressing, use pasteurized eggs or egg products. Salmonella symptoms, including diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection.

Raw milk and soft cheeses

Pasteurization heats milk to kill harmful germs without significantly changing its nutritional value. Raw, unpasteurized milk and products made from it can carry Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Brucella, and H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in raw milk from infected dairy cows. Federal law bans selling raw milk for drinking across state lines, while state rules on in-state sales vary. Milk from a clean, local or organic farm is not automatically free of germs. Look for the word "pasteurized" on milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream labels, and ask at farmers markets. Soft cheeses such as queso fresco, brie and feta are a particular Listeria concern when made from unpasteurized milk.

Ready-to-eat foods and Listeria

Listeria is unusual because it can grow slowly at refrigerator temperatures. That makes refrigerated ready-to-eat foods, which are not cooked before eating, the main concern: deli meats, hot dogs, refrigerated pâté and meat spreads, refrigerated smoked seafood such as lox, cut melon and raw or lightly cooked sprouts. People at higher risk can still eat deli meats and hot dogs if they heat them to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot, and can eat smoked seafood cooked in a dish such as a casserole. Eat cut melon right away or refrigerate it, and throw it out after about 7 days, or if it was left out more than 4 hours.

Raw flour, dough and shellfish

Flour is a raw agricultural product that has not been treated to kill germs, and it has been linked to E. coli outbreaks. Raw cookie dough and cake batter carry that risk as well as the Salmonella risk from raw eggs, so bake before you taste, and keep play dough made from raw flour away from young children. Raw or undercooked oysters and other shellfish can carry Vibrio bacteria and norovirus. Hot sauce, lemon juice and alcohol do not make them safe. People with liver disease or weakened immunity are especially vulnerable to serious Vibrio infections and should eat shellfish only when fully cooked.

Honey and babies

Do not give honey to babies younger than 12 months, including honey in baked goods or on pacifiers. Honey can contain spores of the bacteria that cause botulism. Older children and adults have gut bacteria that stop these spores from growing, but an infant's gut does not yet, so the spores can produce toxin and cause infant botulism, a serious illness that weakens the muscles.

Food allergies and label reading

For people with food allergies, food safety means something different: avoiding a specific food protein that the immune system treats as a threat. Even a tiny amount can trigger a reaction, and severe reactions, called anaphylaxis, can affect breathing and blood pressure within minutes. The label on packaged food is the main tool for avoiding allergens, and US law sets out what it must show.

Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act and later updates, FDA-regulated packaged foods must clearly declare the 9 major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Sesame became the 9th major allergen, required on labels since January 1, 2023. The allergen must appear either in the ingredient list, often in brackets after an unfamiliar ingredient name, or in a "Contains" statement right after the list. Meat, poultry and some egg products fall under USDA rather than FDA rules.

Statements such as "may contain" or "made in a facility that also processes" are voluntary. Companies are not required to use them, so a product without one is not guaranteed to be free of traces. Recipes and suppliers change without notice, which is why allergists advise reading the full label every time, even on a product you have bought for years. Learn the other names allergens can go by, such as casein and whey for milk. If you have been prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors, carry two at all times, because a second dose is sometimes needed before help arrives.

• Tell restaurant staff about the allergy clearly and ask how food is prepared, including shared fryers and grills
• Never taste a small amount of a food to see whether it is safe
• Do not rely on the front of the package or the product name alone
• Report a reaction to a mislabeled food to the FDA

Reading the Nutrition Facts label

Food safety and healthy eating overlap on the label. The FDA Nutrition Facts panel lets you compare products quickly and keep track of the nutrients the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise limiting, such as sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. Start with the serving size and the number of servings per container. Many packages that look like a single portion, such as a large bottle of soda or a bag of chips, contain two or more servings, and every number on the label applies to one serving.

The percent Daily Value (%DV) shows how much one serving contributes to a day's intake, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. As a quick rule, 5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high. Look for low %DV in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars, and higher %DV in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium. The Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg, for added sugars 50 g and for dietary fiber 28 g. Comparing similar products side by side using %DV is usually more useful than reading grams.

Front-of-package claims such as "natural", "made with real fruit" or "multigrain" are not a substitute for the panel on the back. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, your personal limits may differ from the standard Daily Values, and a registered dietitian or your doctor can help you set targets. If you manage a food allergy, remember that the Nutrition Facts panel does not list allergens; check the ingredient list and "Contains" statement instead.

Food recalls and outbreaks

A food recall is an action by a company, usually working with the FDA or USDA, to remove food from sale because it may be contaminated, mislabeled or otherwise unsafe. The FDA oversees most foods, while USDA oversees meat, poultry and some egg products. Recalls are sorted by how dangerous the problem is. A Class I recall means there is a reasonable chance the food will cause serious illness or death. A Class II recall covers foods that may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems. A Class III recall involves foods unlikely to cause illness that break labeling or manufacturing rules.

Because recalled food may already be in your kitchen, it pays to know how to check. Match the product carefully against the notice using brand, product name, size, lot or UPC code and use-by dates. If it matches, do not eat it, even if it looks and smells fine, and do not try to cook it to make it safe unless the notice says that is enough. Return it to the store for a refund or throw it away in a sealed bag, then clean and sanitize any refrigerator shelves, drawers and surfaces it touched. Never donate or give recalled food to others.

You can sign up for FDA and USDA recall alerts by email or follow them online. If you freeze or repackage foods, write down lot codes or keep the label so you can check later. If you think a food made you or your family sick, contact your local health department. Reports from the public help investigators link cases into outbreaks, find the source and prevent more people from getting ill.

Safe home canning

Home canning is a rewarding way to preserve food, but it is the most common cause of foodborne botulism outbreaks in the US, and home-canned vegetables are the usual culprit. Botulism is rare but can be fatal. The bacteria that cause it form hardy spores that survive boiling, and inside a sealed jar of low-acid food without oxygen they can grow and produce a toxin that attacks the nerves. The toxin cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, so a jar that looks perfect can still be dangerous.

The key distinction is acidity. Low-acid foods, which include vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood, must be processed in a pressure canner, which reaches temperatures high enough to destroy botulism spores. High-acid foods, such as most fruits, jams, jellies and pickles, can be processed in a boiling-water canner. Tomatoes sit near the borderline, so tested recipes add acid: 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice per pint or 2 tablespoons per quart. Processing times or pressures must also be adjusted if you live above 1,000 feet, because water boils at a lower temperature at altitude.

Use up-to-date, tested recipes from the USDA or your local Cooperative Extension office, follow them exactly, and avoid inventing or changing recipes, such as adding extra vegetables, onions or flour, which can change the acidity and how heat travels through the jar. Have the dial gauge on a pressure canner tested every year. After jars cool, check the seals and refrigerate or reprocess any that did not seal. Oven canning, open-kettle canning, and canning in slow cookers or multicookers without a tested method are not safe.

• Throw out jars that are bulging, leaking, cracked or spurting liquid when opened, or food that smells bad or looks moldy
• When in doubt, throw it out, in a sealed bag, without tasting it
• Clean any spills from a suspect jar with a bleach solution while wearing gloves

If you get food poisoning

Common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps and fever. They can start within hours or take days, and for Listeria, weeks, which is why the last meal you ate is often not the cause. Most cases get better on their own within a few days. The main risk in the meantime is dehydration, so sip water, oral rehydration solutions or clear broths often, even if you can only manage small amounts. Oral rehydration solutions from a pharmacy are especially useful for young children and older adults.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking anti-diarrhea medicines, particularly if you have a fever or bloody diarrhea, and before giving any of them to a child. In some infections, slowing the gut can make things worse. Antibiotics help only certain bacterial infections and are not useful for norovirus, so your doctor may want a stool test before deciding on treatment.

If you have norovirus or another stomach bug, stay home and do not prepare food for others while you are sick and for at least 2 days after your symptoms stop, since you can still spread the virus. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water; alcohol-based hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus. Clean contaminated surfaces with a bleach-based cleaner, following the product label.

• Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days
• Bloody diarrhea
• A fever over 102°F (38.9°C)
• Vomiting so often that you cannot keep liquids down
• Signs of dehydration: very little urine, a dry mouth and throat, or dizziness when standing

Myths and a practical plan

Several common beliefs lead people astray. Rinsing raw chicken does not make it cleaner; it spreads bacteria around the sink and counter, and cooking to 165°F (74°C) is what makes it safe. The "5-second rule" is not reliable, because bacteria can transfer to food instantly on contact. Searing meat does not "seal in" juices or kill germs inside it. Leaving food out to cool before refrigerating it is unnecessary and risky. And the smell test does not tell you whether food is safe, because illness-causing germs rarely change how food smells.

Food safety becomes automatic once a few habits are in place. Rather than trying to change everything at once, build them up over a month. The plan below is a starting point; adjust it for your household, and pay closest attention if anyone at home is pregnant, very young, older or has a weakened immune system. By the end of the month, most of these steps take no extra time at all.

• Week 1: Buy an appliance thermometer for the refrigerator and freezer and a digital food thermometer; set the refrigerator to 40°F (4°C) or below
• Week 2: Set up two cutting boards, one for raw meat, poultry and seafood and one for everything else; store raw meat on the bottom shelf
• Week 3: Clear out the refrigerator, label leftovers with dates, and sign up for FDA and USDA recall alerts
• Week 4: Review the safe temperature chart, check egg and dairy labels for pasteurization, and save Poison Control, 1-800-222-1222, in your phone

Every guide in this topic

• The Evidence on The Four Steps to Food Safety, Without the Hype
• Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures: What Published Guidance Supports
• Storing and Reheating Leftovers: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Food Recalls: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Raw Milk: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• Eggs and Salmonella: What Published Guidance Supports
• Listeria in Pregnancy: What Published Guidance Supports
• What the Guidance Really Says About Allergens on Food Labels
• Reading the Nutrition Facts Label: What the Evidence Actually Says
• Safe Home Canning: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise

Frequently asked questions

How long can food sit out before it is unsafe?

Perishable food should go into the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking or coming out of the refrigerator, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), such as at a summer picnic or in a hot car. After that, bacteria may have multiplied to unsafe levels, and some produce toxins that reheating does not destroy, so throw the food out.

Should I wash raw chicken before cooking it?

No. Washing raw chicken, turkey or meat does not remove bacteria reliably and splashes them onto the sink, counter and nearby foods. Cooking poultry to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer, is what kills germs. Pat it dry with paper towels if a recipe calls for it, throw the towels away, and wash your hands.

Is it safe to eat a burger that is still pink inside?

Color is not a reliable guide. Ground beef can turn brown before it reaches a safe temperature, and some safely cooked burgers stay pink. Grinding mixes surface bacteria such as E. coli all the way through the meat, so ground beef needs to reach 160°F (71°C). Check by inserting a thermometer through the side of the patty into the center.

How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator?

Use most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days if they were refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and your refrigerator is at 40°F (4°C) or below. Freeze anything you will not eat in that time. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), and bring soups, sauces and gravies to a rolling boil before serving.

Can I refreeze food that has thawed?

Food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, although its texture may suffer. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked before you refreeze it, because parts of it may have warmed into the danger zone. Never thaw food on the counter, and do not refreeze food that sat out longer than 2 hours.

What foods should I avoid during pregnancy?

The main concerns are Listeria and other germs. Avoid unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses made from it, cold deli meats and hot dogs unless heated until steaming, refrigerated smoked seafood unless cooked in a dish, raw or lightly cooked sprouts, raw or undercooked eggs, meat and seafood, and raw dough. Your prenatal care provider can give personal advice.

Does a "best by" date mean food is unsafe after it?

Usually not. Apart from infant formula, federal law does not require date labels, and "best if used by" generally refers to quality, not safety. Properly stored food may be fine past that date, while food left out too long can be unsafe before it. Do not use infant formula after its use-by date, and follow storage times for leftovers.

What should I do if food in my kitchen is recalled?

Check the brand, product name, size, lot or UPC code and dates against the recall notice. If it matches, do not eat it, even if it looks fine. Return it for a refund or throw it away in a sealed bag, then clean any surfaces it touched. Call your doctor if you ate it and feel unwell, especially if you are at higher risk.

Is raw milk healthier than pasteurized milk?

Pasteurization kills harmful germs without significantly changing milk's nutritional value. Raw milk can carry Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Brucella, and H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in raw milk from infected cows. The FDA and CDC advise against drinking it, and it is especially risky for pregnant people, children, older adults and people with weakened immunity.

How do I know if a home-canned jar is safe?

You cannot tell by looking, smelling or tasting, because botulism toxin is undetectable. Only eat home-canned food made with a tested recipe and the right method: a pressure canner for vegetables, meat and seafood. Throw out jars that are bulging, leaking, cracked, spurting liquid or smell bad, without tasting them. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 with concerns.

When to speak to a doctor

See your doctor for diarrhea lasting more than 3 days, bloody diarrhea, a fever over 102°F (38.9°C), vomiting so often you cannot keep liquids down, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine or dizziness when standing. Call sooner for babies and young children, adults over 65, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system, and if you are pregnant and develop a fever or flu-like illness after eating a food linked to Listeria, call your prenatal care provider even if you feel only mildly ill. Call 911 for fainting, confusion, bloody diarrhea with very little urine, a stiff neck with fever, a seizure, or blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, or trouble swallowing or breathing, which can be signs of botulism. For a severe allergic reaction, use epinephrine if prescribed and call 911. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 with questions about possibly unsafe food or chemicals.

Where this comes from

• CDC — Four Steps to Food Safety
• USDA — Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
• USDA — Leftovers and Food Safety
• FDA — What You Need to Know About Egg Safety
• FDA — The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk
• CDC — Listeria Infection (Listeriosis)
• FDA — Food Allergies: What You Need to Know
• FDA — How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
• USDA — Complete Guide to Home Canning
• CDC — Preventing Botulism

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.