Foodborne illness can be caused by many things, including food that comes from an unsafe source, inadequate cooking, improper holding temperatures, contaminated equipment and poor personal hygiene. Here are ways to minimize the risks in your kitchen:
Wash your hands properly. Washing hands is the best way to stop the spread of germs. To properly wash your hands, wet your hands with running water, turn off the tap and apply soap. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds, which is about the same time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. Rinse well under running water. Dry your hands with a single-use paper towel. Key times for washing hands include before, during and after preparing food; before eating food; after using the toilet; after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; after touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste; after touching garbage.
Store food safely. Store ready-to-eat foods (such as produce, deli meat, salads, bakery products and cooked and cooled foods that can be safely eaten without additional preparation) above — not below — raw animal food (uncooked animal foods such as eggs, meat, poultry and fish). In addition, store raw animal foods separately and in leak-proof containers or on sheet trays to prevent juices from dripping onto other products. This reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
Keep the fridge and freezer at the proper temperatures. The refrigerator should be kept at 40 degrees or below. The freezer should be at 0 degrees. Buy a freestanding thermometer for the freezer and the fridge, monitor the temperature and adjust the setting as necessary.
Thaw food safely. Do not thaw food at room temperature. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. When thawing food in cold water, change the water every 30 minutes. When thawing food in the microwave, cook the food immediately after thawing.
Watch for dented and rusted canned foods. Food service inspectors require restaurants to discard any canned food that is dented or rusted because the integrity of the can may have been compromised, which poses the risk of botulism. However, home cooks to do not have to adhere to such strict practices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends discarding cans that are deeply dented, have sharp points or a sharp dent on the top or side seam, or that are heavily rusted. If you see rust on the inside of a can, do not eat the food.
Do not serve food in chipped or cracked dishware. Cracked dishes and mugs can harbor bacteria. If you can't bear to throw out a beloved plate that's chipped, give it new life as a saucer for a potted plant — just don't eat off it.
Store kitchen tools and cookware properly. If you store spoons, spatulas and other cooking utensils in a container on the counter, store these utensils inverted. This ensures that you remove them by the handle, not the head. Invert cookware stored in open shelving so that dust and debris do not collect on the inside.
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