Cooking is all fun and games until someone’s tummy hurts because of food poisoning. And so while you may be tempted to throw caution to the wind, keep in mind that food borne illness is serious business and so a crucial aspect in good kitchen organization is keeping things sanitary and clean. In the spirit of proper food prep, here are some do’s and don’ts that will help ensure that the delicious delights you serve will cause no harm to you, your loved ones or your guests:

A.) DO’S

1. Do remember food safety rules in arranging your fridge shelves
Get rid of the habit of just sticking everything from your grocery bag to spaces in your fridge where you can squeeze it in. Here’s a pro-tip, you would want to organize your food based on the temperature in which the foods need to     be cooked. With this in mind, things that are ready to eat should be placed at the top, then everything else is organized downwards based on the temperature it needs to be cooked to. The reasoning behind this is in order to combat cross-contamination, because the food stored in the lowest shelves like chicken would be cooked in a higher temperature enough to kill the bacteria.

2. Do use shallow containers in keeping leftovers

With the holiday season just around the corner, expect leftovers from massive meals to find their way in your kitchen. To avoid bacterial growth the food needs to cool quickly and this can be achieved with airtight and shallow containers.

3. Do toss refrigerated foods after a long power outage

When the power is interrupted, keep track of how long it’s out. Food stored in the refrigerator is still safe to eat if the power is out for no more than four hours. Anytime more than that, you’ll need to consider throwing out perishable goods especially when if the temperature inside reaches 40 degrees or above. The ultimate rule of thumb is always when in doubt, throw it out!

4. Do use multiple cutting boards for different food

The cardinal rule is to have one board purely devoted for meat-related products and another for produce, such as fruits and vegetables. This is because the bacteria from any form of raw meat can survive hot, soapy wash and may linger in the board’s crevices. To reduce the risk cross-contamination among food, you have to use separate cutting boards. You can even take the extra mile and use non-porous cutting boards for handling meat since bacteria can thrive inside the pores of a wooden cutting board and lead to food poising.

5. Do tidy up as you go along

While it is tempting to just clean up the mess once and for all only after eating, that habit could do you more harm than good. Its best to clean up spills immediately because wet floors can be slippery. It's also a good idea to do  frequent fridge cleanouts, wiping down the shelves. These little chores can reduce the growth of listeria. Because remember, a clean kitchen is a safer kitchen!

B. ) DON’TS

1. Don’t keep eggs on the refrigerator door

Most fridge comes with a built-in designated egg rack by its door, so it is safe to presume that its the most fitting place to store our eggs. But we’ve never been so wrong in our life, because it is actually the worst. Naturally, we open   and close the fridge door all throughout the day unintentionally exposing the eggs to fluctuating temperatures this in turn causes the eggs to rot quicker. To ensure that our eggs stay fresh as long as possible, it is ideal to store the eggs on a shelf in the main part of the refrigerator where the temperature remains constant.

2. Don't depend on taste and smell to determine if food has gone bad

The sight and sniff tests are lousy strategies to prevent food poisoning because the pathogens that do make you sick are odorless, colorless and invisible. However, it is not a hopeless case for consumers because bacterial growth is time and temperature dependent. And along these lines, the chilling of the food in the appropriate temperature can slow or stop both pathogenic and spoilage bacteria.

3. Don't solely count on expiration dates

A lot of us merely rely on the expiration date stamped on the perishables as our guide on whether the food is still edible or it should be tossed out to the nearest trash can. However, a ‘sell by,’ ‘use by,’ or ‘best before’ label doesn’t  mean you should trash the food after that date. In fact, these dates are only suggestions by the manufacturer for when the food is at its peak quality, not when it is unsafe to eat. Unless its baby food or infant formula where the expiration date really matters, not because it spoils but due to the decline of nutrients past the date provided.

4. Don't crack your eggs on the bowl’s edge

For the longest time, cracking eggs on the side of the bowl has been the way to do it. Chances are its how you’ve been thought, its how you see it in those movie montages, it works perfectly, so why change it? But here are reasons    why you should consider switching to the countertop technique.The practice of cracking it on the sharp edge of the bowl actually pushes the shell inside the egg, increasing the risk that small shards of shell will get inside the egg’s  liquid or it may do the complete opposite and broken shell may fall directly into your mixing pan. Buy with the flat-on-the-countertop method you won’t encounter either problems and its considered as the most foolproof approach to cracking eggs for beginners or even experts.

5. Don't pack your refrigerator or freezer

After a trip to the grocery, do you cram all your food in the freezer? If so, then you might not be freezing your food properly. Stuffing your fridge with so much food prevents air from circulating in the fridge which means food won't be kept at their ideal temperature. While cramming in too much is a problem, you also don't want to pack too little because warm air enters and the freezer spends a lot of energy trying to cool down that warm. Your best bet is to shoot for a freezer that’s full enough but not too full that no air circulates.

Whether you are cooking everyday meals or preparing for a holiday gathering, remember to make these do's and don'ts as habits and rest assured your time in the kitchen will be a recipe for success.