Home Kitchen Survey

Rate Your Home Food Handling Practices

Your local health department inspects restaurants regularly to protect our citizens against food borne illness. You should follow the same guidelines that restaurants use to avoid food-related illnesses. We hope the questionnaire below will help you rate your home kitchen habits.

Do you wash your hands frequently, especially after using the restroom and before and after preparing food?
Do you generally cook meats to an internal temperature of 160°F or until fluids are clear and do you cook eggs until both yolk and white are firm?
Are hot foods maintained hot in chafing dishes, crock pots or at oven/range until served?
When cooking, do you keep raw meats and eggs separate from ready-to-eat prepared foods and produce?
Do you only thaw frozen foods under refrigeration, running cold water, or during the cooking process via microwave, oven or range?
Do you thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables?
Are utensils such as knives and cutting boards washed and sanitized (such as with a bleach solution) after use with raw meats?
Are counter tops and other food preparation areas and surfaces clean?
Is the refrigerator clean, free of mold growth, no encrusted food; free of ponding water; door gaskets clean with tight seal when closed and is the freezer defrosting properly with no excessive build-up of ice?
Are the stove and/or oven clean, with no encrusted food found in and around equipment, gas burners properly adjusted, and electric heating elements clean?
Is the trash compactor and/or kitchen trash container clean and free of accumulated waste?
In the refrigerator, are raw meats stored below vegetables and prepared foods?
Are prepared foods stored in the refrigerator covered to prevent cross contamination?
Does your refrigerator hold foods at safe temperatures (41°F or below; 0°F for freezer)?
Do you make sure groceries or take-home foods are refrigerated within 2 hours of purchase?