5 Food Safety Rules You’re Breaking (Without Knowing It)
Jump on the health safety rules simple foods may have greater consequences than you think. Beyond what has belly pain, which may be more serious for people with weakened immune systems such as young children, pregnant women and elderly consequences. Here are 5 food safety standards that most people quit because they are busy, they forget or do not know better.
# 1: Improper washing hands
When it comes to washing hands, most people do not do often enough or properly. When you work in the kitchen, you should wash your hands:
Before you start handling food
Between handling raw foods and ready-to-eat
After using the bathroom
After taking a break to talk on the phone or open the door
After sneezing and after scratching / touching your skin or clothing
Many people quickly rinse your hands under the water for several seconds, regardless of the soap or dirty to dry clean hands, leading to recontamination towel. Do not forget to sing "Happy Birthday" twice and have clean towels in hands. Here is an overview of the 5 steps for washing hands.
# 2: Thaw in the office
The last time my mother left food for the evening, our German Shepherd had a great steak dinner! But many people have a bad habit of poultry meat and thaw on the counter while they are at work or asleep at night. This is asking for trouble, because bacteria can multiply to over $ 1 billion in just 10 hours, which is a lot for a sick person. To properly thaw meat and poultry, place in the refrigerator the night before to defrost in the microwave, or under cold water (for frozen smaller as the size of shrimp food). If you decide to defrost in the microwave, make sure to cook the meat as partially cooked immediately at this point. If you have a large amount of meat (or barbecue), then place in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in advance.
# 3: cross-contamination
There are several ways of cross-contamination occurring in the kitchen. Many people are preparing raw meat and use the same cutting board and utensils, then cut fruit or vegetables. If vegetables are left for a long period of time, which gives harmful bacteria a chance to grow to amounts that can cause disease. Another form of cross-contamination is the storage of raw meat in the refrigerator on food that will not be cooked, such as cheese, fruits and vegetables. Raw meat juices can easily escape in ready-to-eat.
To avoid cross-contamination, clean and sanitize cutting boards, knives and work surfaces between raw and ready-to-eat (like vegetables). Also, make sure to wash your hands after handling raw foods. When preservation of food in the refrigerator, wrap raw before storing in the bottom of the refrigerator meat.
# 4: for undercooking
Many people use their eyes to determine if the food is cooked. Unfortunately, this is not the right way to determine if a food is done. Specifically, this is the measurement of the internal temperature. To do this, you must make a small investment in a food thermometer.
# 5: Keep leftovers too long
When was the last time you cleaned your refrigerator? You cling to preserve meat or spices fine expiry date meats, many people keep their food for too long. All food must be released at some point, as shown in this list handy. You can also download the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics My food safety app for a complete list of foods.
Dime: How many of these food safety rules are broken?