What else did Mom know that you should know?
Hamburger help... E. coli has such an ugly ring to it, and an even uglier reality. Think of ground beef as E. coli's primary means of transportation, and the only way to make sure the bus doesn't stop at your home is to ensure your burgers are property cooked. Regardless of how you like your burgers done, the safest way to cook them is until they are no longer red in the center and the juices run clear. Better yet, use a meat thermometer and cook to 160F or 71C. And don't even think of giving a child or senior a rare burger. Undercooked hamburgers cause more children to be ill every summer than swimming in Lake Erie. If you do not have a meat thermometer, don't eat ground beef patties that are still pink in the middle. Make life easier for yourself by stabbing the sucker with a meat thermometer and make sure it gets up to 160.
Do the dishes!... The best way to do the dishes, from a bacteria-prevention standpoint, is to either do them in a dishwasher, or, if you don't have one yet, put them into hot water, wash them immediately (after immersion), rinse, and let them air dry. If you put dishes in the sink, let them soak for a couple of hours and then do them, you've unwittingly created dish soup, where the food has contributed to the main ingredient: bacteria. Also, the problem with hand towels is that bacteria get spread around, joyously.
Raw poultry, fish or meat handling... Let's say you're making dinner; you take the chicken breasts out of the package, and put them in the dish for marinating. Then what? Wash your hands immediately with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If you have a cut, best to wear rubber gloves.
Poultry, fish or meat defrosting... It's good to know that smaller items will defrost more evenly than larger ones. Keep that in mind when packaging chicken breasts and hamburger. You should cook these thawed meats immediately after thawing. Incidentally, don't thaw poultry, meat and fish on the counter; bacteria get very amorous at room temperature and multiply too quickly.
Fruits and vegetables... Don't eat potatoes with "eyes"- as they are roots that contain a natural chemical that helps the suckers grow but can actually make you (or your kids) sick.
Don't eat tomatoes that "leak" under any circumstances. The leakage says there's bacteria present that can cause stomach upset and worse (read: bathroom trip).
Do wash every single vegetable as though a passing representative from the livestock committee urinated on it.
Bread... Although this is not really a food safety issue, it really is handy: keep your bread in the freezer if you find your bread keeps getting moldy. Frozen bread is fine for toast and is great for kids' lunches because it thaws so quickly.
