Food safety is essential to prevent foodborne illness and ensuring the well being of everyone consuming the food. Food safety is also the proper handling, cooking and preservation of food in order to protect people from bacteria. Most times we get sick because of what we take in, as you read along, I would tell you five simple food safety tips.
1. Cleanliness; This is the basic and number one food safety tip, before handling food, ensure you wash your hands thoroughly, also ensure food items that needs to be washed are properly washed. It is also important to note that germs stay surfaces and kitchen utensils, so it is important to keep these kitchen utensils and surfaces clean at all times.
2. Thawing Safely; Thawing in order words means to defrost, but in this case, you are defrosting by warming, when thawing food, it is important to note that for safety, avoid thawing at room temperature, this is because, the outside of the food will warm above 5oC which will allow food poisoning bacteria to grow. Ensure you thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, microwave and cold water.
3. Canned Food; Avoid using canned foods that are dented, bulging, or leaking as they may be contaminated and affect the health. Also, when you open canned foods, check for things like spurting liquid, off odor, mold , if you notice any of these, avoid consuming, cause goods are spoiled and can cause damage to the health. Expiry dates are also important to note.
4. Allergies Awareness; If you have food allergies, it is important to always mention it to the person serving, also, be vigilant about reading food labels and avoid cross contact. Also, it is important to reduce exposure to allergy triggers.
5. Outdoor Foods; When picnicking or having a barbecue, use coolers and ice packs to keep perishable food cold. Also, cook food thoroughly on the grill and avoid cross contamination. Also, perishable foods should not sit out for more than 2 hours, ensure they are consumed within two hours.
By following these food safety tips, you can reduce the risk of food borne illness, keep your food safe and enjoyable for everyone. Safe food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health.