Post Written by SAND Member Erin Ogden
Food safety is vitally important. Although textbooks, classes, and even business corporations are dedicated to it, it’s easy to learn some of the essentials. Here are just a few ways to start making safer cooking choices.
Cross-Contamination: Cross-contamination occurs when contaminants, either biological, chemical, or physical, get transferred between consumable foods. A very common example of this is raw meat coming in contact with foods that won’t be cooked like fruits or vegetables. One of the easiest ways to prevent cross-contamination is to never use the same utensil, cutting board, or tool for different foods without washing it first. This is especially important when cooking with raw meat, fish, or eggs.
Inadequate Personal Hygiene: Wash your hands! Sometimes it’s just that simple. Wash your hands if you sneeze, cough, touch your body, after going to the bathroom, and when beginning to cook something else. For an effective measure against spreading pathogens to foods, wash your hands for at least twenty seconds. Use soap to lather and scrub palms, fingers, nails, and wrists for ten seconds, then rinse with very warm water. The use of hand sanitizer is also encouraged. However, hand sanitizer is meant as an addition to washing your hands, not a replacement.
Improper Cleaning and Sanitizing: The equipment you use, as well as all surfaces that come in contact with food must be properly cleaned, not just wiped with a cloth or paper towel. Household cleaners include detergents, which are common in noncommercial kitchens. All detergents use some sort of agent to break up, soften, and remove surface contaminants. They are effective at removing food, dirt, rust, and stains. Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same thing. Proper cleaning eliminates debris, while sanitizing reduces pathogen levels. Although chemicals can also be used for sanitizing, using hot water is the easiest at-home method. Soak kitchen items like utensils, cutting boards, or knives in hot water for at least 30 seconds. The water used should be at least 171 degrees, which you can use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature.
Poor Storing Methods: Between 41-135 degrees Fahrenheit bacteria growth is rapid, continuous, and dangerous. Therefore, food should never be refrigerated above 41 degrees. The internal temperature must also reach a reading higher than 135 degrees during cooking or baking. A basic kitchen thermometer with a metal stem is an invaluable tool for reading food temperatures (1).
Image Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a1/ef/16/a1ef16a7ba6911931e87553c73920f67.jpg
Reference
1. Servesafe Coursebook (6th ed.). (2014). Chicago, IL: National Restaurant Association.
Food safety is vitally important. Although textbooks, classes, and even business corporations are dedicated to it, it’s easy to learn some of the essentials. Here are just a few ways to start making safer cooking choices.
Cross-Contamination: Cross-contamination occurs when contaminants, either biological, chemical, or physical, get transferred between consumable foods. A very common example of this is raw meat coming in contact with foods that won’t be cooked like fruits or vegetables. One of the easiest ways to prevent cross-contamination is to never use the same utensil, cutting board, or tool for different foods without washing it first. This is especially important when cooking with raw meat, fish, or eggs.
Inadequate Personal Hygiene: Wash your hands! Sometimes it’s just that simple. Wash your hands if you sneeze, cough, touch your body, after going to the bathroom, and when beginning to cook something else. For an effective measure against spreading pathogens to foods, wash your hands for at least twenty seconds. Use soap to lather and scrub palms, fingers, nails, and wrists for ten seconds, then rinse with very warm water. The use of hand sanitizer is also encouraged. However, hand sanitizer is meant as an addition to washing your hands, not a replacement.
Improper Cleaning and Sanitizing: The equipment you use, as well as all surfaces that come in contact with food must be properly cleaned, not just wiped with a cloth or paper towel. Household cleaners include detergents, which are common in noncommercial kitchens. All detergents use some sort of agent to break up, soften, and remove surface contaminants. They are effective at removing food, dirt, rust, and stains. Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same thing. Proper cleaning eliminates debris, while sanitizing reduces pathogen levels. Although chemicals can also be used for sanitizing, using hot water is the easiest at-home method. Soak kitchen items like utensils, cutting boards, or knives in hot water for at least 30 seconds. The water used should be at least 171 degrees, which you can use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature.
Poor Storing Methods: Between 41-135 degrees Fahrenheit bacteria growth is rapid, continuous, and dangerous. Therefore, food should never be refrigerated above 41 degrees. The internal temperature must also reach a reading higher than 135 degrees during cooking or baking. A basic kitchen thermometer with a metal stem is an invaluable tool for reading food temperatures (1).
Image Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a1/ef/16/a1ef16a7ba6911931e87553c73920f67.jpg
Reference
1. Servesafe Coursebook (6th ed.). (2014). Chicago, IL: National Restaurant Association.