Preparing food safely
It’s essential to organize food safely to assist cease dangerous micro organism from spreading and rising. You can take some steps to assist defend your self and your loved ones from the unfold of dangerous micro organism.
Wash your palms
Your palms can simply unfold micro organism across the kitchen and onto food. It’s essential to at all times wash your palms totally with cleaning soap and heat water:
earlier than beginning to put together food
after touching uncooked food resembling meat, poultry, and greens
after going to the bathroom
after touching the bin
after touching pets
Don’t overlook to dry your palms totally as nicely, as a result of moist palms unfold micro organism extra simply.
Keep worktops clear
Before you begin getting ready food, it’s essential worktops, kitchen utensils and chopping boards are clear. If they’ve been touched by uncooked meat, poultry, eggs or greens you’ll want to clean them totally.
You ought to change dishcloths and tea towels frequently to keep away from any micro organism rising on the fabric.
Separate uncooked food from ready-to-eat food. Raw meals resembling meat, fish and greens might comprise dangerous micro organism that may unfold very simply by touching:
- different meals
- worktops
- chopping boards
- knives
You ought to maintain uncooked meals away from ready-to-eat food, resembling salad, fruit and bread. This is as a result of these kind of food received’t be cooked earlier than you eat them, so any micro organism that get onto the food received’t be killed.
To assist cease micro organism from spreading:
don’t let uncooked food resembling meat, fish or greens contact different food
don’t put together ready-to-eat food utilizing a chopping board or knife that you’ve got used to organize uncooked food, until they’ve been washed totally first
wash your palms totally after touching uncooked meat, fish or greens and earlier than you contact the rest
cowl uncooked meat or fish and retailer on the underside shelf of the fridge the place they will’t contact or drip onto different meals
don’t wash uncooked meat earlier than cooking
wash, peel or cook dinner greens until these are described as ‘ready-to-eat’ on the packaging
Check the label
It’s essential to learn food labels to verify all the pieces you’re going to make use of has been saved accurately (in line with any storage directions) and that not one of the food is previous its ‘use by’ date.
Food that goes off shortly often has storage directions on the label that say how lengthy you possibly can maintain the food and whether or not it must go within the fridge.
This kind of food typically has particular packaging to assist maintain it contemporary for longer. But it’ll go off shortly when you’ve opened it. This is why the storage directions additionally inform you how lengthy the food will maintain as soon as the packaging has been opened. For instance, you would possibly see ‘eat within two days of opening’ on the label.
Use-by dates
You may also see ‘use by’ dates on food that goes off shortly. You shouldn’t use any food after the ‘use by’ date even when the food seems to be and smells positive, as a result of it would comprise dangerous micro organism.
Best earlier than dates
The ‘best before’ dates marked on most meals are extra about high quality than security. When this date runs out, it doesn’t imply that the food might be dangerous, however its flavour, color or texture would possibly start to deteriorate.
An exception to that is eggs, which have a finest earlier than date of not more than 28 days after they’re laid. After this date the standard of the egg will deteriorate and if any salmonella micro organism are current, they may multiply to excessive ranges and will make you unwell. If you do intend to make use of an egg after its finest earlier than date, just be sure you solely use it in dishes the place it will likely be totally cooked, in order that each yolk and white are stable, resembling in a cake or as a hard-boiled egg.
