Food Safety in the Kitchen
Filed under Office Administrative Services
Why is Food Safety so important? Correct food preparation protects against foodborne illnesses that are caused by bacteria. These illnesses include Salmonella and E. coli.
Safety precautions are include:
Selecting foods carefully in the grocery store; Storing them correctly; Cooking them safely; Cleaning up properly and well after food preparation.
The following is a guide to ensuring food safety in your kitchen
Buying Food
In order to ensure freshness, ensure that your refrigerated items such as meat, dairy and fish are placed in your shopping cart last; It is a good idea to keep meats separate from other items; Always consider putting the dairy and meat items in a cooler to keep the fresh; Always check the expiration dates on your food items; When buying eggs, check inside the egg cartons. Make sure the eggs are crack free.
Avoid fruit with skin that has broken as bacteria can enter through the opening and cause fruit contamination.
Refrigerating and Freezing
Make sure your freezer and refrigerator are set at the correct temperature. Refrigerator should be set for 5 degrees Celsius, your freezer should be set at -18 degrees Celsius or lower. These cold temperatures will help keep bacteria at bay and prevent it from multiplying Put frozen and refrigerated items away first.
Preparing and Cooking Fruits and Vegetables
Wash all fruits and vegetables with plain water in order to remove pesticide residue; Remove the outer leaves of the green leafy vegetables.
Preparing and Cooking Raw Meat, Poultry, Fish and Egg Products
Always wash your hands before and after preparing these foods; Keep raw meats and their juices away from other foods. This applies to in the refrigerator as well; Washing raw meat and poultry can spread germs around the kitchen; Designate one chopping board for these foods; Thaw these foods in the refrigerator; Poultry needs to be cooked until there is no longer any pink.