Here’s food (safety) for thought on what you can do to reduce your baby’s risk of foodborne-illness this summer and beyond:

--Wash your hands with soap and water (especially after changing dirty diapers!) before handling baby food or preparing formula. Not only will you be keeping your baby safe, you’ll be less likely to get sick yourself. If you don’t have access to soap and water, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer will do in a pinch.

--Don’t feed your baby from the jar (or yogurt container) and then put the uneaten portion back in the refrigerator. Bacteria from your baby’s mouth can grow and multiply in the jar. If your baby is likely to eat less than a full jar, spoon a portion into a bowl and put the jar in the refrigerator for later. You generally can keep opened jars in the fridge for up to three days for fruits and vegetables, two days for meat and vegetable combos, and one day for meats. A permanent marker can be handy for dating those opened jars so you’ll know what went into the refrigerator when.

--Don’t leave perishable items out of the refrigerator (without a cold pack) for more than two hours. Throw them away if they’ve been sitting out longer than that.

--Watch expiration dates on baby food. Don’t feed your baby anything that has expired and throw out jars with chipped glass or rusty lids.

--When you’re traveling, transport food and filled bottles in an insulated cooler with frozen packs.

--Don’t give your baby honey if she’s less than a year old. It could contain bacteria associated with botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.

--Don’t serve your baby or older child raw or unpasteurized milk or juice, which may contain harmful bacteria. And no cow’s milk before age 1.

--If you’re making homemade baby food, be diligent in the kitchen--use a brush to clean areas around the blender or food processor blades and parts. Trapped food particles can harbor bacteria.

--To freeze homemade baby food, put the mixture in an ice cube tray. Cover with heavy- duty foil and freeze. Later, you can pop the frozen food cubes into a freezer bag or airtight container and date it. Store vegetables up to three months, and meat, fish, and chicken up to eight weeks.

--Use dishwashing detergent, hot water, and a clean dishrag to wash and rinse all utensils that come in contact with your baby’s food, including the can opener. Just wiping them with a paper towel isn’t enough. Soap, water, and friction do the trick.

--Don’t keep bottles or food in the same bag as dirty diapers unless the food is in its own separate, insulated container or sealed plastic bag.

--When your baby gets to the finger-food stage, which can start as early as 7 months, you’ll want to cut food into bite-size pieces. But don’t offer your baby nuts, raisins, grapes, or hot dogs; they’re a choking hazard and not appropriate for infants or toddlers.

See our complete reports on preventing food poisoning and baby food for more information.