Storage Handling & Cooking

Safe Food Handling

Improper food handling and preparation causes over 80% of food borne illness.  Here are four easy steps to follow when cooking with chicken:

Clean

Always wash your hands with hot soapy water after handling raw meat.  Thoroughly clean all kitchen surfaces and utensils using a mild bleach and water solution.

Separate

Keep raw meat and fish away from other foods.  At the grocery store, keep separate from other foods.  At home, store on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.  When cooking, use a designated meat only cutting board, preferably glass or acrylic as bacteria can survive in the crevices of wooden cutting boards.

Cook

Cook chicken thoroughly until there is no trace of pink and it is cooked to the right temperature.  Never partially cook meat and finish cooking it later. 
All chicken pieces, with or without skin and bone, must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and whole chickens, stuffed or un-stuffed, must be cooked to an internal temperature of 185°F (85°C).

Chill

Always put your prepared food or leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer within two hours after cooking.

Storage

• Whole chickens can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to one year.

• Chicken Pieces can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to six months.

• Cooked Chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to three months.

• Ground Chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to three months.

• Never thaw poultry at room temperature.  Poultry can be thawed in the microwave, refrigerator or a cold water bath where the water is changed numerous times.

• Always cook thawed chicken with 48 hours.

For more information on Safe Food Handling, please visit the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education - a program created by the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness in Canada by increasing consumer awareness of safe food handling practices.

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