Food Handling Safety Article - Helpful Information and Tips

Food forms the very foundation of life, and it can make or mar lives. Food and waterborne diseases are responsible for nearly two million deaths worldwide every year. If you think that’s something that doesn’t affect you, think again. While people in developed countries are certainly better off, millions of illnesses in the US can be traced to water borne bacteria with a sizeable percentage of them leading to secondary illnesses that last longer. Above all else, food has to be safe. The qualities of being nutritious, healthy and wholesome will lose all meaning if food is not safe.

How do you ensure food safety? There are several different situations that affect the safety of food in different ways. When there’s a disaster, for example, there are going to be a lot more hazards than in ordinary times. Similarly, when you are traveling you have to be more careful and are generally less in control. Let us look at some general rules that apply to food safety.

Eating out

People are eating out with increasing frequency. With the portions seemingly becoming bigger by the day, packing up the leftovers and taking them home for later consumption is also becoming a way of life. While eating out is comparatively safe, since restaurants have to follow a number of regulations, you can still satisfy yourself about a particular place in a number of ways. First of all, make sure that the surroundings are clean. If you’re not satisfied go to a different place. Select well-cooked food and make sure they are properly cooked. If you’ve ordered a hot meal make sure that it’s piping hot. As for those leftovers, if you’re taking them home, better put it in your fridge within a couple of hours –which means that you better head straight for home, or leave the excess behind.

Traveling

When you’re traveling you’re going to eat outside food a lot, and under different conditions. That’s the time you’re going to have to be very careful. First of all, avoid uncooked food – that eliminates salads, raw meat, uncooked vegetables and milk that has not been pasteurized. If you are taking fruits, make sure they’re washed well and peeled by you personally.

Drinking water should be hygienic and should have been treated with chlorine. If treated/chlorinated water is not available, it is better to drink hot beverages or canned drinks, including water.

Cooking

Take care of food safety at the source – when you cook. If you are careful about how you cook, you can eliminate a number of health hazards. First of all, ensure that food is cooked up to a proper temperature and maintained at that temperature for sufficiently long. This will ensure that the bacteria are completely killed. The color of the food may or may not give you a dependable idea of the thoroughness of cooking; it’s better to use a cooking thermometer and make sure that the food is cooked to the right temperature. The recommended temperatures vary for different kinds of food, so you may have to check up the temperatures recommended.

Handling Food

Make sure you wash your hands, and the surfaces you use before cooking and eating. Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least twenty seconds. Don’t cross-contaminate – keep items separate. Don’t use the same plates that held raw food to store cooked food, unless you take care to clean them thoroughly. Disinfect dishcloths and towels frequently.

Opt for safety

By taking care to avoid contamination of food, you can opt for food safety for you and your family. That’s well worth the effort, because your food will not only be more wholesome but also help you reduce medical bills and time lost due to illness.