Food Safety 101: Which Foods Should You Wash?

Food safety is an incredibly important component of working in the kitchen, as produce, meat, dairy and other products can harbor a number of bacteria, parasites and viruses that can make you very sick.

For instance, in June 2025, a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs sickened dozens of people in the U.S., resulting in at least 21 hospitalizations across seven states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 420 people die each year due to this foodborne illness. Other dangers that could be lurking in your food include norovirus, listeria, Campylobacter and E. coli. These can lead to minor symptoms like mild gastrointestinal distress or even more severe, life-threatening complications.

Below you’ll find a roundup of our top food safety tips for handling, washing, cooking and storing a variety of foods to keep you and your family healthy.

Food Safety for Meat

Raw meat can contain parasites and bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, and one of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to thoroughly cook your meat to the proper temperature. For beef, bison, veal, goat, pork and lamb, that is 145 degrees for steaks, roasts and chops and 160 degrees for ground meat and sausage. Chicken, turkey and other poultry products need to be cooked to 165 degrees. Meanwhile, fish should reach 145 degrees. Other seafood like shrimp, lobster, crab and scallops should be cooked until the flesh is pearly or white and opaque. Use a food thermometer to ensure you reach the proper temperature.

You should never wash raw meat, as it can spread bacteria to other foods, the sink and the counter.

When handling raw meat, it’s also important to keep it separate from other ready-to-eat foods. Use separate cutting boards, utensils and plates, and wash them thoroughly afterward.

After your meat is cooked, refrigerate any leftovers within two hours and eat them within three or four days to prevent bacterial growth.

Food Safety for Produce: Wash It All!

All fruits and vegetables should be washed before eating to remove dirt, bacteria, viruses, parasites and pesticide residue, which could lead to various foodborne illnesses, including salmonellosis, E. coli and listeriosis. This includes some fruits that you might think are safe because of their thick skins, such as melons, avocados and pineapples. And make sure you wash your hands with soap and water first!

Leafy Greens

For leafy greens like lettuce and kale, separate and individually rinse the leaves. You’ll also want to get rid of leaves that are damaged. Immersing the leaves in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes can help get rid of any sand and dirt. You can add 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar per 1 cup of water to the mix to help reduce bacterial contamination. However, this can affect texture and flavor. Rinse with clean water afterward. Similarly, herbs can be dunked and swished around in a bowl of cool water.

Even if your lettuce says it has been pre-washed on the package, it’s always wise to wash it yourself before preparing, as recalls of washed lettuce due to contamination do happen from time to time.

Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Most fruits do well with a good rinse of cool tap water. You can either hold the fruit under the faucet or submerge it in a clean bowl. Produce with a hard rind or firm skin should be scrubbed with a vegetable brush, and the water should be no more than 10 degrees cooler than the produce to prevent microorganisms from entering through the stem or blossom end.

Apples, cucumbers and other firm produce should be washed well to remove wax, while soft fruits like peaches and plums can be rinsed under running water and dried with a paper towel.

You’ll want to scrub fruits with thicker skins – like melons, avocados and pineapples – with a brush under the faucet for 10 seconds before peeling or slicing. This is important because these fruits can transfer bacteria from their skins to the knife when cut. For smaller, more delicate fruits like cherries, berries and grapes, you can get away with a gentle rinse. Wash them under the faucet just before eating.

Meanwhile, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and turnips can be peeled or washed with a firm scrub brush under lukewarm running water.

See more: How to Make Fresh Produce Last Longer

Should You Wash Organic Produce?

Some people think they can skip rinsing organic produce since organic farming doesn’t use conventional pesticides, but this is untrue. The same bacteria, viruses and parasites hiding in conventional produce can also be found in organics! Plus, organic farms can be affected by pesticide drift from other farms, and even natural pesticides can be harmful if ingested in large quantities. Always wash all your produce, organic or not.

Food Safety for Eggs

Eggs can contain salmonella, so it’s important to take special precautions to prevent food poisoning. After purchasing your eggs, store them in the refrigerator. When cooking, make sure the yolks are firm before serving. Cook any other foods containing eggs, such as pastries or breakfast casseroles, thoroughly. Wash your hands, along with any utensils or surfaces that come into contact with raw eggs, with soap and water. Do not consume any eggs that have broken shells. And while it tastes yummy, it’s better not to eat any raw dough or batter that uses eggs as an ingredient.

Some dishes like hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad dressing require raw or undercooked eggs. In this case, make sure to use pasteurized eggs or egg products.

Whether you’re purchasing them at the supermarket or collecting them from your own backyard flock, it’s best not to wash eggs. Commercial eggs are washed and sanitized during processing, and washing them yourself could potentially introduce bacteria. Washing eggs collected from your own coop removes a natural protective coating called the “bloom” or  “cuticle” that helps prevent bacteria from entering the egg.

See more: How to Collect, Clean and Store Backyard Chicken Eggs

Food Safety for Dairy Products

In general, dairy products are safe if they’re pasteurized. However, the Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding raw milk, and 20 states have explicit laws against intrastate raw milk sales. According to the agency, there have been 143 reported outbreaks of illness, some involving stillbirth, kidney failure and death, associated with the consumption of raw milk.

It is also recommended to refrigerate dairy purchases – including milk, cream, butter, yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese – as soon as possible after purchase. Never leave them at room temperature for more than two hours.

It’s also important to pay attention to the product’s shelf life after opening. In general, milk has about five days, sour cream has two to four weeks, yogurt has about six weeks and butter has one to two weeks.