Food Safety

Food safety guidelines after chemotherapy and transplant

Your nutritional health is important to support your immune system, prevent weight loss and promote healing and wellness after chemotherapy and transplant. We encourage you to follow these guidelines to keep yourself healthy and nourished. These guidelines are recommendations for ALL people to prevent foodborne illness. Recent research has shown that a “neutropenic” or “immunosuppressed” diet isn’t needed to keep patients safe from food-borne illness and may increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies during your recovery.

General food safety

Even though you are following a regular diet, you and your caregiver should practice food safety every day. Food safety decreases your risk of developing a food-borne illness that can make you very sick. Follow these general food safety guidelines to decrease your risk.

Clean

Wash hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds:

• Before and after food preparation
• Before eating
• After handling raw meat
• After touching a pet
• After taking out the garbage
• After using the bathroom

Wash fresh (raw) fruits and vegetables by rinsing with running tap water for 15 seconds.

Do not use soap or detergents. A small vegetable brush is helpful for removing surface dirt.

Thick-skinned fruits and vegetables, like bananas and potatoes, also need to be washed.

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing food.

If handling raw meat, wash countertops and utensils before preparing the next food item

Separate

Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your refrigerator by placing them in a container or re-sealable plastic bag.

When grocery shopping, place raw meats in a plastic bag to avoid contamination of other foods.

Use a different cutting board for raw meat, poultry and seafood products.

Do not place cooked food on a plate that holds raw meat.

Cook

Use a clean food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked food.

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the item, making sure not to touch the bottom of the pan.

Chill

Set your refrigerator no higher than 40°F and your freezer at 0°F.

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours of preparation or sooner.

Do not defrost food at room temperature; place it in your refrigerator or use the microwave.

Food defrosted in the microwave should be cooked immediately after.