Have
you ever asked yourself: How safe is my kitchen? How safe is the food I
cook?
Here are some tips to assure food safety in your kitchen and prevent food poisoning.
o Place
food in the fridge immediately and make sure it is set below 5°C.
o
Food should not be out of the fridge for more
than 4 hours, and leftovers should not be out of the fridge for more than 2
hours.
o
Watch out for expiration date.
o
Defrost meat, chicken and fish in the refrigerator
or microwave and not on the counter outside.
Personal hygiene
o
Wash your hands regularly with warm
water and soap: before food preparation, when switching between different
foods, any time you touch raw foods, after touching your face, using the
bathroom, coughing or sneezing, using the phone and before eating.
o
Wash for at least 20 seconds.
Cross-contamination
o
Wash knives and cutting boards after
each use.
o
o
Use different cutting boards for raw
items (meat, chicken and seafood) and for ready-to-eat items (bread, vegetables
and fruits).
o
Wash cutting boards after use and
throw out the ones with cracks as bacteria could grow there.
o
Clean surfaces and utensils with soap
and hot water.
o
Replace sponges often, and microwave
them on a regular basis for 20 seconds to kill any bacteria.
Proper cooking
o
Make sure to cook foods and reheat
leftovers properly.
