Feature

Zakaria Ahmed, ph.d.

We know that food is the source of our energy. Everyday we eat and drink varieties of food items but seldom think about their safety and do not take necessary precautions. We can easily ensure food safety by proper handling and storage of food stuff and thus prevent food borne illness in the family. Careful handling, storage and cooking can save us from the attack of harmful bacteria which are not seen with bare eyes. In every step of food preparations the following guidelines may keep us safe from food borne illness.

Clean: Wash hands and food-contact surfaces. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get into cutting boards, knives, sponges, and counter tops.

Separate: Don't cross-contaminate--don't let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

Cook: Cook in proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause food-borne illness.

Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Quick refrigeration of food keeps most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should be set at 4.4°C and the freezer at -17°C, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer.

Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods, cutting boards, utensils, etc., if they are not handled properly. This is especially true when handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. So keep these foods materials and their juices away from already cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Handling foods, it is important to be smart and keep foods apart to avoid cross contamination. By following these simple steps, you can prevent cross-contamination and reduce the risk of food-borne illness.

Shopping
Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery-shopping cart. Place these foods in plastic bags to prevent dropping their juices onto other foods. It is also best to separate these foods from other foods at check out and in separate grocery bags.

* Purchase refrigerated or frozen items after selecting your non-perishables.
* Never choose meat or poultry of torn or leaking package.

* Do not buy food past "Sell-By," "Use-By," or other expiry dates.

* Avoid purchasing unpasturized juices, milk, cheeses, etc.
Storage

* Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 32°C).

* Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer. The refrigerator should be at 4°C or below and the freezer at -17°C or below.

* Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within 2 days; beef, veal, lamb, within 3 to 5 days.

* Perishable food such as meat and poultry should be wrapped securely to maintain quality and to prevent meat juices from getting onto other food.

* To maintain quality when freezing meat and poultry in its original package, wrap the package again with foil or plastic wrap that is recommended for the freezer.

* In general, high-acid canned food such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and pineapple can be stored on the shelf for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid canned food such as meat, poultry, fish, and most vegetables for 2 to 5 years if the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, clean, and dry place. Discard cans that are dented, leaking, bulging, or rusted.

Preparation
Wash hands and surfaces. Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, and counter tops. To prevent this:

* Wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling food, and after using the bathroom, changing diapers; or handling pets.

* Use hot, soapy water and paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills. Wash cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

* Wash cutting boards, dishes, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.

* A solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water may be used to sanitize surfaces and utensils.

* Always wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

* Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water.

* Cutting boards, utensils, and countertops can be sanitized by using a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.

* Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.
Cutting Boards:

* Always use a clean cutting board.

* If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

* Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, replace them.

* Wash your cutting boards with soap and water after using. Ideally have two cutting boards. (One for meats and the other for fruits and vegetables.) The bacteria on the meat won't contaminate fresh foods. If you only have one cutting board cut up the fresh foods first and then meats. Wash the board with soap and water between uses.

* Do NOT place your cooked meat on the same plate or cutting board that you used for the raw meat. The cooking may have killed the organisms on the meat however, by placing the cooked meat on the contaminated plate or board you may recontaminate your meat.

Marinating Food:
* Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
* Sauce that is used to marinate raw meat, poultry, or seafood should not be used on cooked foods, unless it is boiled before using.

Thawing
Thaw meats in your refrigerator. Do NOT thaw meats at room temperature. I know it is faster to thaw the meat at room temperature, however, the bacteria on the meat also grow faster at room temperature.

* Refrigerator: The refrigerator allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing meat and poultry juices do not drip onto other food.

* Cold Water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag. Submerge in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook immediately after thawing.

* Microwave: Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.

Cooking
* Cook your food to the proper temperature. The cooking will kill the microorganisms.

* Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked at 62.7°C.

* Ground beef, veal and lamb at 71°C.

* All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 73.8°C.

Serving
* Serve and keep cold foods cold.

* Serve and keep hot foods hot.

* Hot food should be kept at 60°C or warmer.

* Cold food should be kept at 4.4°C or colder.

* When serving food at a buffet, keep food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Keep food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them time to time.

* Perishable food should not be left out more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour when the temperature is above 32°C).

* Always use a clean plate.

* Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food.

Leftovers and Storing Leftovers
* Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature was above 32°C).

* Place food into shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.

* Use cooked leftovers within 4 days.

* Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours or sooner in clean, shallow, covered containers to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying.

* Store cooked meat and poultry in the refrigerator.

Refreezing
* Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.

* Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in containers or sealed plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other foods. Raw juices often contain harmful bacteria.

* Store eggs in their original carton and refrigerate as soon as possible.

* Don't allow foods requiring refrigeration to remain at room temperature for long periods of time (longer than 1/2 hours to 45 minutes).

(The writer is assistant professor, Department of microbiology, Primeasia University)