February 23, 2015
The Importance of Food Hygiene
The importance of food hygiene
Food hygiene isn’t just something for
caterers to worry about. Households must also take this issue seriously. If
you’re not careful when it comes to food safety, you could put your family at
risk. This brief guide explains why, and it offers some simple tips to help you
keep unwanted infections at bay in your home.
The risks of poor hygiene
There is no denying the dangers of poor
food hygiene. Every year, millions of Americans fall ill because of the things
they eat and drink. Microorganisms including bacteria, molds and viruses found
in produce can lead to a host of unpleasant symptoms, including stomach pain,
vomiting and diarrhea. Common causes of poisoning include E. Coli, salmonella
and the norovirus. While the majority of people get better without the need for
treatment, the most serious cases can lead to blood poisoning and even kidney
failure. Anyone can get infected in this way, but some people, including babies
and the elderly, are more likely to suffer serious symptoms.
Top cleaning tips
As worrying as this can seem, you shouldn’t
struggle to protect your loved ones as long as you follow a few simple hygiene
principles. One of the most important things to be aware of is the importance
of cleanliness. It’s now easy to pick up a range of infection control products,
including antibacterial wipes, from specialist websites like http://www.steroplast.co.uk/. Your
local stores should also stock a range of effective cleaning products.
First and foremost, make sure your hands
are clean at all times - and this means giving them a good scrub with suitable
soap or gels. Take particular care to do this after you’ve used the toilet,
before you handle food and after you touch raw meat. It’s also helpful to
remove any bracelets, rings and watches before you prepare meals because bugs
lurking in these items can easily be transferred to your food.
Also, before you start cooking, make sure
that your work surfaces and utensils are clean. Meanwhile, always deal with
spilled food and liquids straight away. Another top tip is to change your
dishcloths, towels and other cleaning materials on a regular basis, especially
if they get damp.
How to handle food
As well as getting your cleaning right, you
must be careful when it comes to handling food. Always follow the storage
instructions provided on product packaging, and make sure you keep your
refrigerator between 0°C and 5°C, and your freezer at below -18°C. If your
fridge doesn’t have an inbuilt temperature display, use a thermometer.
In addition, you should also keep raw meat
and seafood separate from other produce, and it’s best to store meat in an
airtight container at the bottom of your fridge to ensure that blood or juices
don’t drip down onto other foods. Also, rather than keeping open packets of
food in your fridge, transfer them to sealed containers. Make sure you get rid
of any food that has passed its expiration date too, and eat up any leftovers
within two days.
By taking the issue of food hygiene
seriously and following advice like this, you can protect yourself and your
family from potentially nasty bouts of sickness.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post which was not written by me. All opinions are my own.
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