Food Hygiene

We all love to eat delicious food and try and create innovative dishes which not only looks beautiful to eyes but also satisfy our taste buds. Behind a finger licking plate of food goes in a lot of effort and dedication to create some thing different always. But ”where does the yummy plate of food come from”? ”Kitchen” of course . So, it is important to maintain food Hygiene in the kitchen to avoid any micro organism getting in to food and storing food is equally important to avoid any cross contamination of food.

We all try to follow simple rule of washing our hands before or after cooking although it sounds simple but ,many of us forget it some time. Cleaning your hands doesn’t mean just passing your hands under the tap – give them a proper scrub with soap. Remember to wash your hands:

• before you handle any food
• after you handle raw meat

Also,the worktops must always be clean. Washing utensils with hot water help keep the bacteria away. Change your tea towels and washing scrubs regularly as they are the breeding ground for bacteria. Do you know, if food is not cooked properly we can get ill as the micro-organisms including bacteria, viruses and moulds found in food can cause food poisoning, leading to a whole host of unpleasant symptoms, such as stomach pains, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Storing the food is equally important so, always follow the guidelines on the food pack.

Follow these simple tips on storage :

• Store fresh and frozen food in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible after you buy it.
• Keep raw meat separate from other foods.
• Make sure you keep your fridge between 0 and 5°C and your freezer at less than -18°C – this will prevent bacteria from multiplying.
• Store raw meat in an airtight container at the bottom of the fridge to avoid any juices of raw meat dripping onto other food.
• Don’t store opened tins of food in the fridge. There is a risk of contamination.
• Allow the cooked leftovers to cool at room temperature before you store them in the fridge.

If we bear in mind a few simple points, it can help prevent you and your family from many illnesses.