Food Safety

When we talk about food safety, take a second, sit back and think about it for a while. What would your answer be? Our basic idea about it is, when you buy something fresh, bring it home wash it, clean the food be it meat or vegetable then pack it and put into the freezer or refrigerator. But there is an importance in knowing about food's safety. We can't see bacterias with our naked eyes and therefore, never would we know what is happening to our food when it is exposed to air.

Preparation of food as well as storage of food plays an important role in producing the final food product. Food poisoning isn't something to be taken lightly although these days it is easily treatable compared to many many years ago when medicine wasn't as advanced as today.
Foodborne illness can seriously harm you so don't take it lightly.

Here are some tips to protect yourself by handling food safely.

1. Cook meat, poultry and eggs thoroughly. Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat to be sure that it is cooked sufficiently to kill bacteria.(Typically most bacterias are killed at about 70 degrees C)

2. Avoid cross-contaminating foods by washing hands, utensils, cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry and before they touch another food.

3. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Bacteria grow very quickly at room temperature. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Bacterial growth are most rapid between 4 degrees C to 60 degrees C.

4. Clean and wash produce thoroughly. Soak and rinse a few rounds fresh fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and grime. Remove and discard outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage.

Signs and symptoms of food poisoning include upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramping and dehydration.

Hope this information is useful to you. Thank you for reading!