Food Safety In The Home
According to recent research, up to 80% of all food
poisoning outbreaks occur in the home. Whilst some of these cases are due
to bringing home contaminated ready to eat food, in many cases the food poisoning
is caused by householders poisoning themselves and their own families!
Don’t become another food poisoning statistic by following
these basic food safety rules.
Remember the 4 C’s and keep your food, and your family, safe.
The main causes of food contamination by harmful bacteria
are:
Cross-Contamination
Caused By: Cross
Contamination is the transfer of bacteria from foods (usually raw) to
other foods. The bacteria can be transferred directly when one food touches (or
drips onto) another or indirectly, for example from hands, equipment, work
surfaces, of knives and other utensils. Cross contamination is one of the major
causes of food poisoning. It can also
be caused by:
·
Not washing hands or foods correctly
·
Using dirty cleaning cloths to wipe
down food surfaces and equipment.
Prevent It By:
·
Always wash your hands thoroughly
after touching raw food, before touching ready to eat food and after visiting the
toilet
·
Keeping raw and cooked foods
separate
·
Using different chopping boards/work
surfaces for raw and ready to eat food.
·
Cleaning knives and other utensils
thoroughly after use with raw food.
·
Using clean or disposable cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning Being
Inadequate
Caused By: Sometimes
surfaces and food equipment can remain contaminated due to not being cleaned
properly.
Prevent It By: Using hot, soapy water to thoroughly clean
surfaces and equipment and by using commercially available sanitizer solutions.
·
When you are preparing ready to eat
fruits and salads, wash them thoroughly and then steep them in a disinfectant
solution such as Milton fluid or Chlorox for at least 10 minutes. Follow
manufacturer’s advice for the correct mixing rates.
·
Supervise children in the kitchen so
that they do not touch food surfaces.
They may contaminate surfaces or equipment with their dirty hands. Also, they may contaminate their hands if
they touch a dirty surface, raw meat, dirty fruit or vegetables.
·
Do not allow pets into the
kitchen. For example, cats will often
walk on surfaces, spreading germs with their contaminated feet and fur.
Chilling
Incorrectly
Caused By: Not
storing chilled food at correct temperatures.
Bacteria will breed much more quickly when at ambient (room)
temperatures.
Prevent It By:
- Fridges should normally be set between 1 and 4 degrees
Celsius and it is worth having a fridge thermometer so that you can check
the temperature. Fridge temperature controls may need to be adjusted in
warmer summer months.
- Always store raw meat at the bottom of the fridge and
keep cooked and raw meat separate.
- Don't put hot food into the fridge as this will cause
the temperature to rise. Leave it to cool first.
- Cooked leftovers should be cooled quickly and then put
into the fridge.
- Check the ‘Use By’ dates on food and do not use food
past the ‘Use By’ date.
Cooking
Incorrectly
Caused By:
Not
heating food to a high enough temperature to kill all bacteria.
Prevent It By:
Proper cooking kills food poisoning bacterial such as listeria, salmonella, E.
Coli 0157 and campylobacter. It is important to cook food thoroughly through to
the center, especially meat. Make sure food is cooked right through and is
piping hot in the middle. When reheating
food, make sure it's piping hot all the way through and do not reheat it more
than once.
And Finally - Personal hygiene
You can prevent the spread of harmful bacteria by observing
good personal hygiene and keeping work surfaces, utensils etc. clean. And remember:
·
Don't handle food when you are ill
with stomach problems, such as diarrhoea or vomiting.
·
Don't touch food if you have sores
or cuts unless they are covered with a waterproof dressing.
Remember the 4 C’s and keep your food, and your family, safe.
REFERANCE
Update: 20-Jan-2016
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