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Proper food safety and hygiene is important in preventing disease. Avoid cross-contamination by washing hands, keeping raw meat separate, and storing food properly. Cook food to the correct temperature and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Practicing proper food safety and hygiene when cooking, storing and preparing food is very important in preventing disease. In general, the rules are quite simple and easy to remember and revolve around avoiding cross-contamination. This can occur if a person does not wash their hands properly before handling food, for example, or allows cooked foods and raw foods to come into contact with each other. Another crucial aspect of food hygiene is to keep food at the right temperature; that is, food must be kept cold until cooked, then reheated to the correct temperature for the correct amount of time to kill bacteria or pathogens.
Food hygiene starts when you first handle food. It is important to always use clean hands and place food on clean surfaces. For example, don’t use a cutting board for one type of food and then immediately use it for another without washing it in between. This is especially true if your meal preparation includes raw meat or fish. It is very important to keep raw meat or fish completely separate from all other foods until it is cooked through. Even when storing raw meats in the refrigerator, make sure they’re sealed in insulated containers or in a location where they can’t drip onto other foods.
Don’t leave foods out on the counter to defrost, and certainly don’t run them under hot water, which can cause bacteria to grow. This is also very important for food hygiene. Instead, thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or run them under cold water. Then, cook the food immediately. It is important to ensure that foods are cooked to the correct temperature and for the right amount of time, to heat them through completely and kill any bacteria present there. Recommended cooking temperatures and times for different foods can be found online.
Safe food storage is another significant aspect of food hygiene. Again, prepared foods should not be left on the table or counter, but should be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Cooked refrigerated foods typically don’t last more than a week, and in some cases that really makes them longer, so be sure to check and verify that the food is still safe to eat. Not following these food hygiene rules can easily lead to cases of food poisoning, which can be dangerous or even fatal, so make sure you always take care.
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