Studies
shows that the way we cook our food is common cause of food contamination. Germs
such as campylobacter, salmonella and E. coli are found in our kitchen. These can easily be spread if we are not
careful. Our hands serves the primary
transport of these germs to our food and even pets at home. It is important
that we wash our hands with soap after touching the bin, using the toilet, touching
any raw food and when cooking. Inadequate food handling is the common cause of
food contamination / food poisoning. One
key factor also is to keep all kitchen utensils (Popsicle maker, bread
knife, cake and pie server, chef’s knife, colander, fish slicer and etc.
In cases where foods aren’t cooked, proper
storage should be observed. This is to preserve the food freshness and to avoid
rotting. If food isn’t stored properly,
it can cause serious food poisoning, flu, colds and other conditions.
In general there are effective ways to
prepare and cook your food safely. In
doing these you can ensure that your food is safe to eat and free from germs
that causes illness.
1.
Hand washing- Germs are
spread through our hands, it is important to keep our hands sanitize every
time. The only way to sanitation is
through washing hands with warm water and soap.
It also good to use hand sanitizers and alcohol.
2. Washing Fruits and Vegetable- The best way to enjoy fresh
fruits and vegetables is to wash them through running water before
cooking/eating them. Washing can
effectively remove visible dirt and bacteria that are found in the
surface. Peeling can also be as
effective in removing these germs. Never use any other cleaning products
(especially chemicals) to your fruits and vegetables as this might not be good
for consumption. It might that some chemicals stay on the foods that can cause
poisoning.
3.
Cooking -
Temperature is a crucial part in cooking, it is important that harmful bacteria
are killed. In general, bacteria are killed at temperature hotter than
75C. Below are list of foods that should
be cooked thoroughly before eating.
·
Pork
·
Poultry
·
Sausages
·
Burgers
·
Kebabs
·
Meal
If you
cooked that you are not going to eat immediately, keep it cool within 90
minutes and store in fridge. Foods that are put hot inside the fridge can cause
food poisoning.
4. Cleaning up - Wash chopping boards and other cooking utensils
before and after cooking, as these can cause contamination in food. According to studies, chopping board has more
fecal bacteria than an average toilet seat.
Wet sponges and cloths are also perfect place for these bacteria to
breed. In fact, kitchen sponges have the
highest number of germs in any other place of your home. It is important that you replace these
sponges, cloths, rugs, and towel frequently.
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