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?
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.
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.
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:
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Disclaimer
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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