Thinking of cooking up something tasty in the kitchen? It’s time to ensure that the food that nurtures and powers you is not only delicious but also safe for consumption. Explore these guidelines that can help you safely cook and store your food.
Safe food always starts with promoting cleanliness. Personal hygiene that comes in simple acts like washing your hands before, during, and after preparation of food and before eating will always go a long way. Additionally, we must also be keen on disinfecting our groceries. Using an alcohol-based disinfectant or sanitizer, we must wipe bottles, cans, and food in packs before storing them. For fruits and vegetables, we must rinse it under running water. Lastly, all utensils, cutting boards, countertops, and preparation tables must be washed with hot, soapy water.
Cross-contamination can already happen early on as you go through the process of storing your food. Be wary of putting raw food besides food that has already been processed or cooked in the fridge. During food preparation, it is also best to use separate cutting boards and plates for poultry, seafood, meat, and vegetables.
Cook items thoroughly to kill sickness-causing germs. You may also follow THIS safe minimum cooking temperature chart.
Practice thawing out frozen food safely by putting it in the refrigerator, under running water or in a microwave. Also, perishable food must be refrigerated within two hours after consumption. Lastly, we must be cautious of eating food beyond its shelf life. “If in doubt, throw it out”.
