Why do we need preparation tips to prevent food poisoning?
Food poisoning, also called as foodborne illness, is a disease that stems from eating foods that are infected by harmful organisms like viruses, bacteria, and parasites. The said organisms contain toxins that may contaminate food at any point from their production to processing. Contamination may also occur if the food is handled incorrectly or cooked wrong. Following this, what are preparation tips to prevent food poisoning?
Preparation tips to prevent food poisoning
Keep everything that involves food preparation clean
Among the preparation tips to prevent food poisoning, the most important one is to always keep your hands, utensils, dishcloths, and food surfaces clean.
Practice washing your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after handling food. Use hot water and soap for washing utensils, tabletops, and other surfaces that you would use when preparing food. This is because germs can thrive in a lot of places around your kitchen including utensils, countertops, cutting boards, and even your hands.
Do not taste your food to see if it is still good
If you think your food has gone bad, avoid tasting the food to check if it has spoiled. It is impossible to taste, see, or smell the bacteria that causes food poisoning. Do not hesitate to throw away expired food even if it looks or smells fine. Expiration dates are based on scientific tests that indicate how fast harmful organisms can cultivate in packaged food, and ingesting even just a little amount can make you sick.
Preparation tips to prevent food poisoning in raw food
Raw materials from animals have an increased chance of being contaminated. Be very careful when handling meat and poultry. Here are other recommendations when handling raw food:
Meat and poultry
- Avoid eating raw and spoiled meat
- Do not eat raw or undercooked poultry they may be a source of salmonella
Shellfish and raw fish
- Be careful when picking out seafood as they spoil very easily
- Seafood are susceptible to be contaminated by red tide, a phenomenon that is caused by harmful toxins produced by algae
Eggs and dairy
- Do not drink unpasteurised milk
- Avoid unpasteurised cheeses
- Check the expiration dates on eggs before purchasing
Vegetables
- Some vegetables are prone to bacteria because they are grown in warmer temperatures which are ideal for bacterial growth
Separate raw food from ready-to-eat foods
Among preparation tips to prevent food poisoning is that you separate your foods items. Keep your raw meat, eggs, seafood, and poultry, from ready-to-eat foods such as bread, salad, and fruits. This is because the bacteria that are currently present in the raw materials may spread into the ready-to-eat food. Use a separate chopping board when preparing raw food.
Keep your refrigerator clean
Always maintain your fridge’s temperature below 5C in order to prevent the growth of bacteria. Be mindful when stuffing your fridge as storing too much food prevent air circulation and may cause the overall temperature to increase. Keep your raw meat separated at the bottom shelf of the fridge so it cannot drip or touch other foods and spread bacteria.
Store your food at low temperatures quickly
Store your raw or cooked foods in the fridge or freezer to prolong shelf life. This is because warmer temperatures promote bacterial growth. Cooked foods that are not to be consumed immediately must be stored in the fridge as soon as possible. Leftovers that are stored should be used within 2 days.
Cook raw food thoroughly
When dealing with raw foods like meat and poultry, make sure to cook it until it is steaming hot with no pink meat inside in order to completely eliminate any bacteria in it. Do not wash raw food before cooking as doing this may spread the bacteria in your kitchen.
Key takeaway
Everyone is prone to food poisoning. It is important to keep a clean environment to prepare food in, and to properly store and prepare food to prevent contamination.
Learn more about Foodborne Infections here.
