With all the diseases in the world today, food safety should be
utmost in everyone's mind when handling or cooking food. The way
food is handled before it is cooked is just as important as the
cooking itself and how it is handled afterwards. There are many
things that one has to be mindful of, such as making sure the
food is thoroughly washed. This applies to home use as well as
restaurants and fast food outlets. Some foods, such as eggs,
dairy products and meat spoil quickly and must be kept
refrigerated. There are bacteria in these foods that can cause
food poisoning. You can become very ill and deaths have been
reported from Salmonella food poisoning if proper food safety
measures are not followed.
Before you begin any food preparation, food safety involves
washing your hands with soap and water. All surfaces that you
will be laying the food on should also be washed as bacteria can
live on any surface, even the kitchen countertop. Sponges should
never be used for cleaning as they attract and keep small pieces
of dirt in the pores. When you are cleaning the surfaces you
should use a mild bleach to make sure you kill all the germs.
You should clean out your refrigerator on a regular basis and
throw out food that has been there for some time. The proper
temperature of a refrigerator is 41 degrees to ensure the safety
of the food inside.
When cooking meat you should thaw the meat in the refrigerator.
This helps with food safety because the meat is not being thawed
at a fast pace. Thaw the meat on the lowest rack to make sure
that none of the juices leak on to other foods and spoil them.
If you need the food in a hurry, use the defrost feature of the
microwave. When you are buying groceries, always check the best
before date on the packaging. Many stores put foods, such as
meats on sale just prior to this date. If you will not be using
the food before the date, then you shouldn't buy it. Foods in
the freezer that have been there for a long time or have a hole
in the packaging will most likely have freezer burn. These
should be thrown out as they are not safe to eat.
When cooking food, one food safety rule is to cook all seafood
to 145 degrees. Raw seafood should never be eaten. Eggs should
be cooked until the whites are firm and the yolks begin to get
hard. When serving cold food refrigerate it until you are ready
to serve it. Likewise, hot food should be kept hot until you are
ready to serve it.
About the author:
James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and
researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of
interest. Read more at
www.food-safety-centra
l.info