(GUEST) The Importance of Food Hygiene

 

written by Meghan Belnap

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There are few things on this earth that are so seemingly innocent while being so very dangerous as food is. The tricky thing is that food can look fine, smell fine, and taste fine while it is so very not fine. Here are some of the dangerous effects of poor food safety you should be aware of.

Cross Contamination

When things get hectic in the kitchen, it’s easy to use the same spoon to plate different things. Using the same utensils on different food items might cause a serious case of cross contamination. If you’re allergic to peanuts, but your order comes peanut-free, cross contamination during the cooking process could have a harmful effect. Shared utensils and cookware that have traces of foods will still have an impact on exposed allergy suffers. It is essential that proper food handling and preparation be followed in order to avoid unnecessary sickness.

Lack of Sanitary Precautions

Foods come with harmful bacteria and germs that should be properly sanitized. Failure to do so could lead to sickness. Not only should foods, surfaces, and utensils be carefully washed after each use, other precautions should be taken to ensure healthy food consumption. Basket sanitary strainers are a helpful tool in the food industry. There are many uses for sanitary basket strainers such as protecting pipes from dough and other pipe damaging materials, and removing seeds, pulp, skins, lumps, and other unwanted tiny items from sauces and liquids.

Wrong Temperatures

When it comes to food, the right temperature can be the difference between life and death. Meats are one of the most temperature specific foods in the kitchen. However, any kind of dairy, egg, or even fruit based foods can develop life threatening viruses and bacteria if served at the wrong temperature. Meat thermometers are sure indicators of proper food temperatures. When ordering foods, avoid raw beef and undercooked sea foods. The consequences of consuming underprepared food could lead to a serious case of food poisoning.

Whether you’re the master chef of your own kitchen, or you’re a frequent diner of fine cuisine, awareness of poor food handling processes are important for your health. A clean, safe kitchen requires hard work to ensure that proper food safety rules and guidelines are being followed. Not sure if your favorite food joint is up to code? Do some investigative research and check their food safety tests and reviews. Food should be enjoyed, not a source of sickness and health distraction.

Meghan Belnap