Top 4 Food Safety Tips For New Cooks

Food safety is the study of food preparation and handling before, during, or after processing to reduce the probability of food-related illness and death.

Food handlers and consumers with a weak or compromised immune system are vulnerable to illnesses caused by food-borne pathogens. As a result, infections can prove to be deadly. Thus, the need for efficient food safety measures is very high. In fact, some companies have made it a point to educate people regarding this subject. They do their best to ensure that food handlers, or consumers and their families, are not at risk of falling victim to sicknesses due to exposure to food-borne pathogens.

There are many resources, such as FoodSharkMarfa, that have written several guides in order to educate the average consumer on food safety. Some of these measures, which have also been adopted by the government, include mandatory health checks, health awareness programs among the food handlers and workers, and strict restrictions on the use of personal protective equipment. Modifications have all been accepted to prevent such dangerous infections. For any new cooks reading, enclosed are four basic food tips to keep your food and kitchen safe.

Top 4 Food Safety Tips For New Cooks

1. Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands should be the first rule of every cook, whether you’re new or seasoned.

Hands carry so many germs that transferring them onto the food is very easy. Before touching any food whatsoever, always wash your hands thoroughly. This means that for at least 20 seconds, lather your fingers, the back and front of your hands, under your fingernails, and up your arms. This ensures no unwanted bacteria will touch your food. If, for any reason, you feel your face or any other part of your body while preparing your meal, rewash your hands. If you use the bathroom, rewash your hands twice, and dry them with a clean towel.

It may be virtually impossible to keep away all germs, but frequently washing your hands will help limit any kinds of bacteria from contaminating the food and spreading any kind of virus. Remember, contamination can come from anywhere. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

2. Clean All Your Dishes And Utensils

Secondly, you should always wash all of your dirty dishes and utensils thoroughly after handling them. By doing this, you will prevent any sort of bacteria from spreading between the utensils or the plates. Bacteria can become stuck in the crevices of every fork, knife edge, or spoon handle. You can sanitize dishes by using a water solution of one cup of bleach per dish or by using a solution of one-half cup of bleach per quart of water. For more thorough cleaning, washing and rinse utensils a solution of one part bleach per five parts water is also possible. This is important to protect you and your family from possible food poisoning. Pay attention to whatever dish soap you use in your kitchen. Ensure it has the cleaning power you need to complete the job.

3. Clean All Surfaces That Touch Food Regularly

Besides thoroughly washing your dishes, always clean the tableware and your kitchen doors, cabinets, and drawers before using them to store food or anything else. Cleaning up after yourself is an essential tip. Don't leave anything behind from last night's dinner or lunch. Make sure to also get rid of the trash. Sanitize any surface that came into contact with food or garbage. This should become a daily ritual for any cook to keep the bad bacteria and viruses from corroding your food or kitchen. Keep in mind that some types of viruses and germs can thrive and reproduce with particular types of food, such as raw meats. Sanitizing the surfaces they’ve touched helps tremendously keep sickness away from your family and friends.

4. Keep Your Food Separated

Certain kinds of food must be kept separated because putting them together causes cross-contamination. Foods like raw chicken, beef or seafood can easily spread their germs to any ready-to-eat foods, so they must remain apart from one another. This means separating your raw foods from any ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator.

Even while grocery shopping, these foods should be separated, too. Also, make sure there are different cutting boards for your meats and vegetables. They should never be cut on the same board for health reasons. Eggs should also be kept apart from other foods in the fridge. This is why they come in containers or that special compartment by the door.

Conclusion

Most people know that many illnesses caused by food handlers or workers happen because of contaminated food. However, few people know that food-borne illnesses can also be caused by food they prepare or handle themselves. Salmonella, listeria, e-coli, cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever are the most common diseases that occur due to food. These illnesses can be fatal unless immediately treated. People of all ages can become infected when they come into direct contact with contaminated food materials, or if the food itself is already contaminated. Some good ways to prevent this is to follow food safety guidelines by washing your hands and dishes, and frequently sanitizing.