How to Prevent Food Borne Illnesses
The ways to prevent food borne illnesses from spreading are:
- Clean: keep yourself and work areas clean.
- Prevent cross contamination: keep raw meat and other raw animal products away from other foods.
- Cook: Making sure your cooked food is safe.
- Chill: store foods appropriately both before and after cooking.
Cleaning
It is important to use good cleaning and storage techniques to reduce the chances of spreading food borne illness. Kitchen sponges, dishcloths, sink drain, and faucet handles has the highest levels of contamination because of being damp. Here are a few steps to maintain cleanliness in the kitchen:
By avoiding cross contamination, you are more likely to stop the spreading of food borne illnesses. Here are a few tips on how to avoid cross contamination of food:
1.Use a different chopping boards for raw meat. The chopping board should be wither made of plastic or wood. Plastic boards can be put in the dishwasher, both wood and plastic chopping boards should be disinfected regularly.
3.Do not reuse any container that has held raw meat unless it has been cleaned thoroughly.
1.Thaw food by using the refrigerator, microwave, oven, or by placing sealed packages in cold water.
Food may not always be consumed, sometimes there are leftovers. There are ways in which the leftovers should be stored. Here are a few methods which should be followed at all times:
- Store garbage in cold place and avoid it form being close to the cooking area.
- Remove any microbiological growth such as fungi and slime immediately.
- Check for water leaks from any taps or pipes.
- Use a good and effective cleaning agent.
- Clean the food storage area regularly to prevent crumbs from accumulating and attracting insects and cockroaches.
Avoiding cross contamination of food
By avoiding cross contamination, you are more likely to stop the spreading of food borne illnesses. Here are a few tips on how to avoid cross contamination of food:
1.Use a different chopping boards for raw meat. The chopping board should be wither made of plastic or wood. Plastic boards can be put in the dishwasher, both wood and plastic chopping boards should be disinfected regularly.
2.Wipe raw meat, fish or poultry juices using paper towels and then discard these paper towels. Do not reuse wash clothes after cleaning the counter tops until they have been cleaned properly.
4.Wash the lids of canned food before opening, to avoid dirt from getting into the food.
5.Store food packages on plates so that their juices do not drip on work surfaces or other food.
6.Never put cooked food on a plate, container that was used for raw meat, seafood, poultry or eggs without cleaning the surfaces first.
How to ensure that the food you have cooked is safe?
Food is generally safe once cooked because the bacteria can not the heat in which the food is cooked, but here are a few ways to be 100% safe:
2.Never thaw on the kitchen counter. The outer layer will warm before the inside thaws which help in the growth of bacteria.
3.Cook meats to the recommended temperature.
4.Wash food and vegetables in running water before preparing, cooking, or eating. Using soap or any special cleaning product is not required.
5.Eat food when hot, do not wait for it to get to room temperature.
6.Never leave food out for more than 2 hours.
7.Keep food on ice.
Ways To Store And Chill Food
Food may not always be consumed, sometimes there are leftovers. There are ways in which the leftovers should be stored. Here are a few methods which should be followed at all times:
- Food should be stored at temperatures lower than 4°C (40°F).
- Keep frozen food at temperatures below -18ºC (0ºF) or less.
Other tips include:
- Put groceries that require refrigeration or freezing in the refrigerator or freeze away as soon as possible after they are purchased.
- Consider using insulated bags during warmer months when transporting food.
- Clean the refrigerator and freezer regularly to remove spoiled foods that may transfer bacteria to other foods.
- Do not keep food for too long.
- Do not overstock the refrigerator, Allow the air to circulate freely, which will help keep food cool more effectively.
- Pack lunches in insulated carriers with a cold pack.
- Maintain your personal hygiene in the kitchen.
Preventing pest infestation
- Put groceries that require refrigeration or freezing in the refrigerator or freeze away as soon as possible after they are purchased.
- Consider using insulated bags during warmer months when transporting food.
- Clean the refrigerator and freezer regularly to remove spoiled foods that may transfer bacteria to other foods.
- Do not keep food for too long.
- Do not overstock the refrigerator, Allow the air to circulate freely, which will help keep food cool more effectively.
- Pack lunches in insulated carriers with a cold pack.
