Keeping Food Safe to Eat

Keeping Food Safe to Eat

February 4, 2015

9:07 AM

List 7 ways to minimize the risk of introducing harmful micro-organisms into the kitchen

1.       Wear clean clothes and cover them with an apron

2.       Using soap and warm water, scrub your hands for 30 seconds before you begin to handle food

3.       Wear rubber or plastic gloves if you have an open wound on your hand

4.       Clean your hands after almost any activity, including using the bathroom and sneezing

5.       Do not sneeze or cough into food

6.       Do not touch your face, hair, or any other part of your body

7.       Wash cutting boards and other equipment in between use

List the 8 essential guidelines to ensure food safety is practice in your kitchen

1.       Be sure that work areas and equipment are clean before you start preparing food.

2.       Avoid cross-contamination. After cutting raw meat -- Wash everything that came into contact

3.       If possible, avoid cutting boards made of porous materials

4.       Washing the tops of cans before opening

5.       Use two spoons if you are to taste test -- one to remove food that you wish to sample (pour into second spoon)

6.       Keep pets out of the kitchen

7.       Use throw away towels for drying dishes (if needed) and washing hands

8.       Use clean dish clothes and sponges daily -- wash sponges at the end of the day

What four steps must be followed to reduce the risk of food borne illness?

1.       Clean:  Wash hands, equipment, and surfaces with hot water before and after use

2.       Separate: Keep raw meats and poultry away from other foods at all times

3.       Cook:  Cook food thoroughly

4.       Chill: Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, or leftovers

Seven temperatures for storing, cooking, and freezing food:

1.       71c - 100c: High temperatures destroys most bacteria

2.       60c - 71c: No bacterial growth -- some bacteria live

3.       52c - 60c: Many bacteria survive <---|

4.       15c - 52c: Rapid bacterial growth      |---Danger Zone

5.       4c - 15c  : Some bacterial growth<---|

6.       0c - 4c    : Refrigerator temperatures -- slow bacterial growth

7.       -18c - 0c: Freezing temperatures -- no bacterial growth

What nine guidelines should be followed when cooking and serving food?:

1.       Cook food to the proper internal temperature or until thoroughly cooked

2.       Taste foods containing ingredients from animal sources only after they are fully cooked

3.       When microwaving, take steps to ensure even, thorough cooking

4.       Do not leave food out more than two hours at room temperature, or one if above 32c

5.       Keep extra quantities of food either hot -- on the store or in another cooking appliance -- or cold (fridge)

6.       Do not add more food to a serving dish of food that has been out for a while

7.       Discard foods that have been help at room temp for more than two hours

8.       Fridge food in shallow containers

9.       When reheating food -- bring it to an internal temperature of 74c

What are three methods for thawing frozen foods?

1.       Place food in the fridge where it will thaw slowly

2.       Put in water tight plastic bag and submerge

3.       Microwave

What factors can cause food spoilage?

·         Not being properly stored

·         Harmful bacteria

·         Yeasts

·         Molds

·         Natural chemical changes within food

 What environmental conditions can cause food spoilage?

1.       Heat

2.       Air

3.       Moisture

4.       Light

5.       Dirt

6.       Damage to food or packaging

What are some visual signs that food is starting to spoil?

·         Fresh foods will wilt, get wrinkled, or turn brown

·         Foods can become slimy

·         Fuzzy mold

·         Bruises

·         Bad flavors and odors

What does FIFO mean? And what are the FIFO steps?

FIRST IN FIRST OUT:

Store new food behind the same kind of older food, use the older food first

What foods should be stored in the fridge?

·         Milk, dairy products, eggs

·         Deli foods such as fresh meat, poultry, seafood

·         Fresh fruits and vegetables, (Exempt -- onions, potatoes -- cool dry area)

·         Whole-grain products, seeds, nuts

·         Leftover cooked goods

·         Baked goods with fruit or cream fillings

·         Any foods with label "Keep refrigerated"

How long can these products be stored in a fridge?

·         Ground meets -- Ground poultry : 1-2 days

·         Unopened hard cheese : 10 months

·         An opened jar of mayo : 2 months

·         Bread : Check "Best before date"

·         Leftover fried chicken : 3-4 days

·         Fully cooked whole ham : 7 days

What could happen if the cold air can not circulate throughout the fridge?

Areas may become too warm to store perishables safely

What are you meant to labels leftovers with? Why?

Label with the current date, to ensure they are eaten within a few days

What is "freezer burn"?

A condition that results when food is improperly packaged or stored in the freezer too long. The food dies out and loses flavor and texture

During a power outage how long will a full fridge and freezer keep cold?

Freezer : Full : Two days -- half full : One day. Fridge 4-6 hours. Ensure that opening is kept minimal to ensure the cold temperatures are maintained much longer

What food products should be thrown away if they have been held above 40f for longer then 2 hours?

·         Fresh meats

·         Poultry

·         Fish

·         Lunch meats

·         Eggs

·         Milk

·         Soft cheeses

·         Cooked foods

How would you thaw a frozen turkey safely?

Put the whole turkey in the fridge and leave to thaw (May take several days)

Safe internal temperatures:

Chicken : 160c

Pork : 170c

Bain Marie:

Large sink or metal container with constantly flowing water, usually cold. Used to cool soup rapidly for safe storage.