Top 10 Food Safety Tips

For many people, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the place where family and friends bond as they prepare meals and eat together. But it’s also a place where potential food poisoning lurks. So it is very important to know about some basic food safety tips for your kitchen.

Top 10 food safety tips

1. Clean Hands Count

Germs are easily transferred from hands to food during meal preparation, accounting for 89% of outbreaks.’ Good hand hygiene is your first line of defense in preventing foodborne illness.

2. Sick Workers Have No Place In Foodservice

12% of foodservice employees report having worked when they were sick with vomiting or diarrhea, Sick employees can easily spread pathogens to other employees and customers.
Sick workers should stay home when sick.

3. Cool It!

Chill food promptly and properly. Illness causing bacteria can grow in perishable foods within two hours unless you refrigerate term. Cool temperatures slow the growth of illness-causing bacteria.

4. Take Your Food’s Temperature

Proper cooking temperatures are key to killing hazardous pathogens. Bacteria that cause food poisoning to multiply quickest in the Danger Zone-between 40° and 140°F. Use a food thermometer to determine a food’s true internal temperature.

5. Put A Label On It!

Avoid confusion and ensure freshness by labeling and dating stored ingredients and prepared foods. Any food item not stored in its original packaging must be labeled.

6. Don’t Get Your Signals Crossed On Cross Contamination

Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread illness-causing bacteria to ready-to-eat foods. Cutting boards or utensils used with raw meats must never be re-used for ready-to-eat foods like fruits and vegetables without first thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing them after each use and before beginning a new task.”

7. Be A Clean Freak

Cleaning removes dirt and debris. Sanitizing reduces pathogens that may be present to safe levels. Food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after each use, or every 4 hours if in continual use.

8. Love Your Gloves

Failure to wear gloves by foodservice workers who prepare ready-to-eat foods is a top trending health inspection violation. Wearing gloves can reduce the spread of foodborne illness.

9. Give Fruits & Vegetables A Bath

Washing fruit and vegetables help prevent the spread of bacteria to food preparation surfaces. Even fruits and vegetables that will be peeled or skinned must still be washed.

10. Train staff

The knowledgeable kitchen staff is your greatest ally in protecting guests and preventing foodborne illness. Each new kitchen staff member should be regularly given instruction on proper cleaning and sanitizing protocols.