An article on Food Safety
Food Safety Article
Definition of Food Safety:
Food safety refers to the conditions and practices that preserve the quality of food to prevent contamination and food borne illnesses.
What is Safe Food?
Safe food is food that is free from physical, chemical or microbial contaminants that may cause us harm. The present of microorganism has the highest food safety burden to consumers.
Food that has not been prepared safely may contain bacteria like E. coli. Unsafe food can also spread food-borne illnesses like Salmonellosis and Campylobacter infection. However, food-borne illness can be reduced by buying, preparing, and storing food safely.
Why Food Safety Matters?
Food can be contaminated in many different ways. Some food products may already contain bacteria or parasites. The germs can be spread during the packaging process if the food products are not handled properly. Failure to cook or store the food properly can cause further contamination.
Therefore, proper handling and preparation of food greatly reduces the risks of getting food borne illnesses.
Proper food preparations are necessary to prevent your family from becoming sick from food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria which may cause symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. Food safety precautions include knowing how to select foods in the grocery store, how to store them, how to cook them, and how to clean up afterward.
In conclusion, Food safety is all about assuring that the food which reaches the table is fit for consumption. The risks of contamination are minimized, so that the population as a whole is healthier from the benefits of safe quality food.
How to keep food safe for consumption? [4C & 1S]
Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
Cook: Cook to proper temperatures.
Chill: Refrigerate promptly.
Check :Temperature of food
Separate: Do not cross-contaminate.
*Keep Food out of Danger Zone: 5-60 Degree for more than 4 hours. If possible, heat/warm up your food whenever possible!
Some guidelines of handling food safely
The best way to practice food safety remains to be well informed about the basic principles of food production and safe food handling at home.
1. Always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
2. Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food (Cooked Food). After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water.
3. Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops can be sanitized by using a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
4. Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
5. Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.
2 useful links to know more about Food Safety
10 reasons to keep food safe for consumption
All about Food Safety
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