Table 10: Food safety for people with cancer [5].
Type of food |
Higher-risk |
Lower-risk |
Meat and
poultry |
Raw or
undercooked meat or poultry |
Meat or
poultry cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature |
Tip: Use a food thermometer to check the
internal temperature on the “Is it done yet?” chart for safe minimum internal
temperature. |
||
Seafood |
Any raw or
undercooked fish or shellfish or food containing raw or undercooked seafood
e.g. sashimi, found in some sushi or ceviche. Refrigerated smoked fish.
Partially cooked seafood, such as shrimp and crab |
Previously
cooked seafood heated to 165°F Canned fish
and seafood Seafood
cooked to 145°F |
Milk |
Unpasteurized
(raw) milk |
Pasteurized
milk |
Eggs |
Foods that
contain raw/undercooked eggs, such as: Homemade
Caesar salad dressings* Homemade raw
cookie dough* Homemade
eggnog |
At home Use
pasteurized eggs/egg products when preparing recipes that call for raw or
undercooked eggs When eating out: Ask if
pasteurized eggs were used |
*Tip: Most pre-made foods from grocery
stores, such as Caesar dressing, pre-made cookie dough, or packaged eggnog
are made with pasteurized eggs. |
||
Sprouts |
Raw sprouts
(alfalfa, bean, or any other sprout) |
Cooked
sprouts |
Vegetables |
Unwashed fresh
vegetables including lettuce/salads |
Washed fresh
vegetables, including salads. Cooked
vegetables |
Cheese |
Soft cheeses
made from unpasteurized (raw) milk, such as: Feta, Brie Camembert Blue-veined Queso fresco |
Hard cheeses Processed
cheeses Cream
cheese, Mozzarella, Soft cheeses
that are clearly labelled “made from pasteurized milk” |
Hot Dogs and
Deli meats |
Hot dogs,
deli and luncheon meats that have not been reheated |
Hot dogs,
luncheon meats and deli meats reheated to steaming hot or 165°F |
Tip: You ned to
reheat hot dogs, deli meats and luncheon meats before eating them because the
bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes grows at
refrigerated temperatures (40°F or below). This bacteria may cause severe
illness, hospitalization or even death. Reheating these foods until they are
steaming hot destroys these dangerous bacteria and makes these foods safe for
you to eat. |
||
Pâtés |
Unpasteurized,
refrigerated pâtés or meat spreads |
Canned or
shelf-stable pâtés or meat spreads |
Common foods:
Select the lower-risk options