September is National Food Safety Education Month, and we want to celebrate by sharing all of the best tips for keeping your family safe at mealtime. Take the steps below to help prevent food poisoning, and show your loved ones how to keep food safe, themselves.

According to the CDC, every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from eating contaminated food. Anyone can contract food poisoning, but some groups are more likely to have severe side effects to foodborne illness. These groups are:

• Adults aged 65 and older
• Children younger than 5
• People with health problems or who take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness
• Pregnant women

If you or anyone you know falls into a group listed above, don’t worry! You’ve come to the right place for all-things-food-safety. Take a look at these tips for keeping your meals clean and healthy. 

The best way to begin any mealtime adventure is to first clean your workspace. A clean kitchen is the first and most important line of defense between your family and many surface found illnesses, including food poisoning. Keep your workspace clean the proper way by keeping these tips in mind. 

• Make sure to wash your hands often, not just at the beginning and end of cooking, but also in between managing raw meat and other bacteria-riddled ingredients. Wash with soap for 20 seconds, front and back. If you have any kitchen helpers, make sure they follow this advice as well.
• Countertops are just as important to keep clean as hands are. Wash counters thoroughly before, during, and after food preparation. Clean other services, as needed, such as cabinet doors and handles. 
• Keeping a cluttered cooking area could contribute to uncleanliness and potential food-borne illness. Before preparing food, make sure to remove any non-food items from your workspace, such as mail, purses, and other common, countertop clutter.
• Take special care of your cutting boards. Wash them often in hot, soapy water, especially after cutting raw meat. When they begin to show signs of wear, such as cracks or crevices in the wood, it is time to replace them. 

Using all of these tips, there is no reason your mealtimes shouldn’t go off without a hitch, while keeping everyone healthy in the process. And in the spirit of education, make sure to teach your family members all of these tips when they begin cooking on their own!