Top 7 Tips For Maintaining Kitchen Food Safety
Bacterial food poisoning is becoming more common in the US. Some experts estimate that over 76 million cases occur each year. By following a few simple household precautions, you can greatly reduce your family's chances of food poisoning.
1. Check your kitchen appliances and ensure that the fridge and freezer thermostats are working properly. Also, make sure that they are set on the correct temperature for food storage- your fridge should be set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (or less) and setting the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit is effective at stopping bacteria growth.
2. Always put perishable food items in the fridge or freezer immediately after use and within two hours of cooking. Leftovers can then be safely eaten within a few days.
3. Keep your countertops and appliances clean. Utilize anti-bacterial cleansing products- especially after handling of raw meat. Wash hands thoroughly with hot water and always dispose of used paper towels immediately after use. Sponges can be decontaminated by wetting and microwaving them for 30 seconds; towels and rags should be laundered in hot water.
4. When cleaning, do not forget to sanitize the kitchen sink! Pouring diluted bleach down the sink and garbage disposal will help to kill any lingering bacteria.
5. Kitchen cross-contamination is a serious food safety issue. Raw meat or fish should never come in contact with other foods. Choose your cutting board wisely: make sure that it does not have a porous surface and place in the dishwasher after use.
6. When cooking for your family, utilize a meat thermometer. Veal, beef, pork, and most seafood should be cooked to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicken and turkey breasts should be cooked to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit, while ground chicken and ground turkey should be cooked to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Salmonella bacteria are spread through egg shells, so cook eggs or any food containing egg product thoroughly. Only buy refrigerated eggs and always store eggs in the fridge. Both egg and yolk should be firm when cooking eggs whole; scrambled eggs should be cooked until you cannot see any liquid egg. Do not consume any raw baking batter or other foods containing egg until cooked thoroughly.
By safely handling food in your kitchen, you can significantly decrease your family's risk of foodborne illness. Above all, remember to wash hands and utensils often, keep raw meats and prepared foods separately, cook foods thoroughly, and refrigerate foods promptly. By following those simple steps, you can help keep your family safe from food bacteria.
Related Tags: safety, family safety, food safety, safety tips, kitchen safety
Charlotte Beulow is a contributing writer for Access My Library. AccessMyLibrary.com is a service of Thomson Gale. Best known for its accurate and authoritative reference content as well as its intelligent organization of full-text magazine and newspaper articles, the company creates and maintains more than 600 databases that are published online, in print, as eBooks and in microform. Visit Access My Library Access My Library.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl
