Thursday, March 8, 2007

Food Safety 101 Cross-Contamination

Food Safety 101 Cross-ContaminationCross-Contamination can be described as the contamination of a food product by microorganisms form another item or source. This is a common cause of Food Borne Illness. Prevention is the best defense against this illness. There are 3 most common ways for cross-contamination to occur.

1. Utensil or equipment (cutting board, knife, towel, etc.) to Food.
2. People (dirty hands) to Food.
3. Food to Food (raw chicken dripping on to other food in fridge or raw meat coming in contact with ready to eat food).

We all are guilty of performing these contamination exercises at one time or another. Being aware of the potential hazards is the first step to keeping yourself and your family safe. The second step is to practice good food handling which uses a lot of "common sense". This can come in many versions:
a. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap after every time you handle food.
b. Wash and STERILIZE all utensils and cutting boards after each use.
c. Make sure not to let raw meat come in contact with any other food.
d. Make sure the food is properly stored in the fridge; do not let anything leak onto other items.

These are all simple things we all can do but it becomes inconvenient when we get in a hurry. A trip to the hospital for food poisoning is inconvenient also. So use these simple tips and enjoy your meals!!!
Come see me at: www.myfoodconsultant.com
Thanks
Charles W KingBBA / MAOM

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