
Father’s Day Food Safety Gift Guide
Meredith Carothers, Public Affairs Specialist, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA

Father’s Day is an opportunity to spotlight the loved ones that helped raise and nurture us. A great way to show appreciation to these special figures is to gift food safety tools that keep the whole family safe from foodborne illness! USDA has put together a gift guide of food safety essentials to make Father’s Day shopping easy:
- Food thermometer
- A kitchen essential that ensures that all meats are cooked to a safe internal temperature that kills bacteria.
- Fridge Magnet displaying safe minimum internal temperatures
- Temperatures you can see with ease! Email FSIS.Outreach@usda.gov to get your own free magnet.
- Cooler, insulated bag or insulated lunchbox
- Coupled with a cold source like ice, frozen gel packs, or frozen beverages, these keep perishables at a safe temperature below 40 degrees F when you’re on the go.
- Multiple grill utensils
- With the popularity of grilling in summertime, use separate utensils to prevent cross-contaminating juices from raw meat and poultry with cooked foods.
- Shallow food storage containers
- Ensures leftovers cool quickly and safely. Remember, leftovers can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Hand soap
- No kitchen is completed without soap for washing hands! Use soap and water to wash hands for 20 seconds.
- Multiple cutting boards
- Use one cutting board for raw meat and poultry and another for all other ready-to-eat foods to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading.
- Appliance thermometer
- Use in the refrigerator, freezer, or even a cooler to ensure it is maintaining a safe temperature below 40 degrees F.
- Apron
- Prevents raw meat and poultry juices from splattering onto clothes. Wash aprons and kitchen towels frequently using the hot cycle of the washing machine.
After stocking up on all your food safety essentials, enjoy a delicious meal with USDA-inspected meat and poultry products. FSIS inspectors ensure that meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled. Look for the USDA mark of inspection on meat and poultry products at the grocery store and have a food-safe Father’s Day!
For more information about food safety, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), email MPHotline@usda.gov, or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday to reach a food safety specialist in English or Spanish.