Hello! Over the past week, I have been researching all about Food Safety and why it is so important. I have learned so many ways to stay safe during my time in the kitchen while keeping all surfaces sanitized and wiped down, along with following 3 important keywords to guide me towards cooking safe and healthy food.
First of all, I have learned that following these 3 keywords will guarantee you a safer, healthier time while you are cooking or baking. The first (very important) word is CLEAN. You should always keep your counters, cabinets, sink, and any surface you come in contact with wiped down and sanitized throughout your time in the kitchen. It would also be wise to keep two separate cutting boards; one for vegetables, and the other for raw proteins. This leads us to our second word is SEPARATE. Never store your raw meats, vegetables, and fruits together. If the raw meat comes in contact with your fruit or vegetables, bacteria could spread, causing contamination. Now our final word is COOK. When you cook raw meat, always make sure the temperature is above 140 degrees, where the bacteria is dead. When you store raw meat, always make sure the temperature is under 40 degrees, where the bacteria is kept inactive.
By following these keywords, you will be decreasing the chance of getting Foodborne illness by quite a lot. However, keeping your kitchen CLEAN, your ingredients SEPERATE, and your meat properly COOKED, isn’t all there is to Food Safety. There are three other sources of contamination, that you need to watch out for. The first one is PHYSICAL. PHYSICAL includes items such as; glass, pet hair, and paint chips. The second word is CHEMICAL. Chemical includes the following ingredients; insecticides and cleaning compounds. And the final word (also the least common at home kitchens) is BIOLOGICAL, which includes; poisons and toxic compounds.
Now it seems like a lot to remember all six of these compounds, but you’ll get the hang of it! Besides, your main focus should be on the first three words, CLEAN, SEPARATE, and COOK. I just have two more things to add to the list of knowledge I have shared already. The first one is to try your best to remember the Danger Zone. The Danger Zone is basically to help you remember the keyword COOK. What you need to know about the Danger Zone is that 40 Degrees the bacteria is inactive and 140 degrees the bacteria is dead, it’s that simple! (Although, poultry and pork must always reach the temperature of 165 degrees to always be cooked at well done). And the final thing I would like to mention is to wash your hands. Washing your hands seems like an easy thing to overlook, but believe me, washing your hands is one of the key aspects to decrease the chances of contamination and Foodborne illness. You should wash your hands after you; eat; handle potentially hazardous food; touch your hair/face/pets; and especially after using the bathroom. Washing your hands should at least take up to 20 seconds, or as long it takes to sing the ABCs. Make sure to take a look at the guide of Areas Most Often Missed During Hand Washing, to help you take precaution while washing your hands next time.
I would like to thank you so much for reading today’s blog and I hope you’ve learned so much about food safety and that you put this knowledge to work! Also, if you would like to learn more about Food Safety, check out my Google Slides to learn all the details;
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cRFRwTQ4LAx87nUrHfLXoyuMJWtqAWodBNMTng_9QNk/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks again and don’t forget to stay Food Safe!
I would also like to thank these sources for the photos I used;
Media from Wix
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