Food safety is a priority year round

Whether it is your parent’s anniversary, your daughter’s first birthday or a friend’s pot-luck dinner party, one thing that is common to all these events is the yummy and tempting food! You simply cannot stop your taste buds from getting lured. But you can definitely stop the food borne bacteria from making way into your body system by keeping up with a few precautions. Events would not end, but with these precautions, you can be sure of a year round food safety, which are as follows:

•  Make it a habit to wash your hands before and after having food
•  Wash the surfaces of your cooking area
•   Avoid cross-contamination. For example, before touching food, remove rings and bracelets, use waterproof dressings to cover up cuts and sores, and wash your hands. When you can, use kitchen utensils not fingers for handling foods.
• All foods should be thoroughly cooked with the core temperature reaching at least 75℃.. Remember to cook the food properly. 
•  Store food in refrigerator when you have to eat it after long hours. And reheat to a temperature of 82°C for atleast two minutes before eating it.

Food Shopping with Safety

•  Use separate plastic bags to keep raw meat, sea food and poultry items, from other foods like raw juices helps to avoid bacterial contaminatio
•  Make the practice of checking the expiry date a second nature.
•  Checking the expiry date on food labels should be your default second nature.
•  Always remember that bacteria grow in high temperature, so refrigeration of food is must during summers

Cooking Precautions

• Wash your hands before you begin. Also, wash hands after you are done with the cooking. Always use warm water, soaps and paper napkins. Keep the utensils and kitchen slab clean. Chopper boards, knives etc., should always be cleaned before each use. Wash fruits and veggies adequately before cooking them. Remember, clean cooking is the right cooking.
• Refrigerate food if not to be eaten immediately. Leaving the food uncovered on the kitchen slab to cool down is not a good practice. Keep the food in uncovered container in refrigerator, and cover the container only when the food is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cautions while Serving

·         Use small platters to serve food to avoid prolonged exposure to air-borne contaminants.

·         Don’t keep the food at room temperature for long.

Safety Stores

·   Leftover food should be stored in refrigerator quickly.

·       Reheating of the leftover food should be done at 165 degrees Fahrenheit at least.

Are you following the healthy food safety precautions?