Make food safely a priority this fall.

• Position: Department of Agriculture

During the busy fall season, whether you are preparing a packed lunch for your child, a weeknight dinner for the family, or a tailgate feast for the whole crew, make sure you prevent foodborne illness by following the Department of Agriculture's four steps to food safety:

Clean. Wash your hands and cooking surfaces before and after handling food. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting, or cooking. Make sure lunch boxes and coolers are clean before packing.

Separate. Avoid cross contamination. Do not let raw meat, poultry, or egg products come in contact with fruits, vegetables, or prepared foods. Never put cooked food on a plate or tray that held raw meat or poultry.

Cook. Use a thermometer to make sure food reaches a safe minimum internal temperature needed to destroy harmful bacteria. Cook raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, roasts, and fish to a minimum internal temperature of 145[degrees]F and let them rest for three minutes before eating. When cooking raw ground beef, pork, and lamb and veal, make sure the meat reaches a minimum internal temperature of 160[degrees]. Egg dishes also should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160[degrees]. All poultry should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165[degrees].

Chill. When packing food, use an insulated lunchbox or cooler and at least two cold sources, such as freezer packs. Discard any perishable foods that were left at room temperature longer than two hours (one hour in temperatures above 90[degrees]).

The USDA also has some other lunch-packing tips:

* If packing a hot lunch--such as soup, chili, or stew --use an insulated container to keep it hot. Fill the container...