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Food Safety
Ever had a dodgy stomach after cooking a meal? Wondering how
safe it is to eat in certain restaurants? The following tips and
guidelines should help you make sure food you prepare is safe to
eat.
It is
estimated that 5.5
million people in the UK suffer from food
poisoning per year – that’s
1 in 10 people.
Food poisoning is caused by
germs in food which is why it is important to learn how to keep your food safe to
prevent others and yourself from
getting ill.
Facts about Food
Poisoning and Germs
· Germs
can’t be seen
by the naked eye.
· Germs
found in food can lead to food poisoning, which
can be dangerous and can kill
– although this is rare.
· Germs
are hard to detect,
as they do not usually affect the taste, appearance or smell of
food.
· Bacteria
need moisture, warmth and
time to grow. In the right conditions one
bacterium can multiply to more than 4 million in just 8 hours!
· This
is why proper cooking and
chilling of food is so important to
reduce the risk
of food poisoning.
· The
symptoms of food poisoning
can last for days and include abdominal pains,
diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and fever. The symptoms can come on
suddenly, but can occur several days after eating effected food.
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Facts about hygiene
Germs can spread easily
around the kitchen via our hands, chopping
boards, cloths, knives and other utensils.
Good kitchen hygiene and good
personal hygiene are important to help
control the spread of harmful germs.
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Tips to keep your
kitchen clean:
·
Try to
‘clean as you go’.
·
Remember that raw meat,
poultry, fish and other raw foods can easy
cross-contaminate.
·
After handling these
foods always wash your
hands, utensils and surfaces thoroughly
before any contact with other food.
·
When washing dishes and
utensils wash with hot
water and washing up liquid. Change the
water regularly then rinse in clean, hot water. Where possible
leave to drain to dry.
·
Keep food cupboards
clean, cool, tidy and dry.
·
Give your kitchen a
thorough ‘spring clean’
periodically.
·
Use
separate cloths
for different cleaning jobs.
·
Empty
your bins regularly.
·
Keep your
pets out of the kitchen.
Keep their food and bowls away from your food and
where you prepare your food. Wash your hands after touching
them.
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When to wash your hands:
Before
·
Preparing food
·
Eating
·
Caring for the sick
·
Looking after babies
or the elderly
·
Starting work –
especially if you handle food.
·
Putting in contact
lenses.
Between
·
Handling different
foods.
After
·
Handling raw foods.
·
Going to the toilet
·
Touching rubbish/bins
·
Changing nappies
·
Caring for the sick
·
Couching or sneezing
·
Touching pets or farm
animals
·
Gardening
·
Cleaning out cat
litter boxes.
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Did you know?
· The
number of germs on your fingertips
doubles after using the toilet.
·
1,000
times as many germs spread from
damp hands than dry hands.
·
If you wear a ring
there could be as many
germs under it as there are people in Europe.
·
A
1mm hair follicle
can harbour
50,000 germs.
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·
You
must always store foods:
o
In
the
right place
o
At
the
right temperature
o
For
the
right time
· When
shopping buy
chilled and
frozen foods last
and pack them together.
·
Keep
raw foods (meat, fish, poultry and eggs), fruit and veg away
from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
·
Keep
raw foods, prepared cold foods and diary products
in the
fridge.
·
Eggs
should be kept
in the
fridge, in their box.
·
Never
put open cans
in the fridge.
·
Store
foods in separate
covered
containers.
·
Keep
your fridge
clean and do
not overload.
Defrost it regularly.
·
Check
the ‘use by’ and ‘best before dates’
on your foods. Use by dates are for foods that can cause you
harm, best before dates just give an indication of when the food
is at its best quality.
·
Always throw away fruit or veg that has started to rot.
·
Check
if food has a
label
which says
you can
freeze it
before you do.
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·
Wash
and dry hands
thoroughly before handling food.
·
Try
to use kitchen
utensils
instead of fingers.
·
Keep
raw and cooked foods
apart at all
times.
·
Never
put cooked food
onto a plate which has previously had raw foods on it until it’s
been thoroughly washed.
·
Wash
all fruit and veg,
especially veg with soil on it.
·
If
defrosting food
make sure
its fully defrosted
before cooking.
·
Allow
food enough
time to thaw
food, and
never
re-freeze
food once it
has started to thaw.
·
Only
thaw food in a microwave its going to be
cooked
straight away.
·
Don’t
cook foods too far in advance.
·
When
using microwaves, allow your
food to
stand
for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots. Check food
is
piping hot before serving.
·
Do
not put food directly
into the fridge or freezer,
let it cool
first,
but remember that cooling should be finished within one or two
hours after cooking.
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So remember…
·
Keep
your food safe to avoid food poisoning
·
Wash
your hands regularly
·
Keep
raw and cooked foods separate.
·
Keep
your kitchen clean
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