How Safely You Handle Food?
Food safety is often associated with professional chefs and restaurants. However, good Proper Food handling can also be beneficial for home cooks. Handling food safely will allow you to fully enjoy its nutritional benefits. Many people don’t realize that food preparation is the best way to handle food. It saves time and keeps your food clean.
Despite these incredible benefits, it is important to ensure that food safety is maintained. Bad food storage and preparation can lead to potentially deadly bacteria. Food poisoning has led to the death of many people who could have been prevented. Do not take chances with your food. Here are 5 tips to help you handle your food well.
Tips #1: Cooking on Different Surfaces and Tools
This principle states that bacteria from raw meat must be kept away from all other Proper Food. When grocery shopping, make sure to keep all meats (especially poultry and fish) away from other food items.
Always use separate cutting boards when cooking meat and vegetables. Your salad dressings are more susceptible to harmful bacteria than raw meat.
Tips #2: Set Fridge Temperature to 40 Degrees Fahrenheit Proper Food
This is the FDA-approved temperature to store non-frozen foods. Modern refrigerators all have thermostats that let you set the internal temperature. Because bacteria can thrive and grow at higher temperatures, 40 degrees is the ideal temperature. Your food will lose its flavor and texture if it is lower than 40 degrees.
Tips #3: Keep leftovers cool by packing them
Cooling food as soon as possible is key to keeping it fresh. You can do this by buying lots of small, wide leftover containers. Spreading Proper Food thinly and wide allows it to cool down quickly. This will allow it to keep fresher for longer. Food should not be kept warm for more than 2 hours. On hot days, even 1 hour might be too long. Use large containers to make smart decisions.
Tips #4: Leave Space Between Leftovers
Airflow is a key component of Proper Food preservation. Cooler air moving around food preserves it and prevents bacterial growth. Don’t overpack your fridge. Allow air to travel between the items. Also, make sure to pack food correctly – place meats under vegetables and fruits to prevent contamination.
Tips #5: Don’t store perishables at the door proper food
Here’s a tip: Only store condiments and less-perishable Proper Food on the door. The door is usually warmer than the rest because it opens and closes. Your eggs should not be stored in the door. You can store food that is a little warm (such as pickles, condiments or butter) on the door.