Just like anyone else in the world, you’d want your family to be safe and healthy. Foods that are not prepared well can lead to several kinds of sickness. At times, even a simple mistake made while handling and preparing food can lead to dangerous situations.
For instance, a small number of germs like Salmonella in under-cooked foods can become a cause for food poisoning. You can avoid some food safety mistakes to protect your family. Here are some common ones that can endanger food safety and the ways to avoid them:
1. Eating raw batter or dough
Sometimes you or any of the members in your family might eat raw batter or dough. It usually contains uncooked flour or eggs, which may contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella. You must, therefore, cook or bake the flour thoroughly. Never eat foods that contain raw or uncooked eggs.
Keep the raw batter or dough away from children as they tend to eat it while playing. After contact with the raw dough, wash your hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly.
2. Not cooking meat well
Under-cooked meat, seafood, or eggs may contain germs that can make you sick. It is absolutely necessary that you cook such foods to a safe internal temperature. Until you serve these foods, keep them hot at a temperature of 140-degrees Fahrenheit or above.
3. Leaving food out for too long
Leftovers, meat, seafood, eggs, cooked rice, and sliced fruits are some of the foods that are perishable. If you leave them out for too long, they become safe havens for harmful germs to grow. Make sure all such perishable foods are not left out in the open for too long.
They must be kept in the refrigerator within two hours of their exposure to a temperature of 90-degrees Fahrenheit. It would be a good idea to divide large portions of food and roasts into smaller containers. This will help the quick chilling of these foods in the refrigerator.
4. Thawing or marinating food by keeping it on the counter
It would be a mistake to marinate or thaw food by keeping it on the counter. Harmful germs tend to multiply at a faster rate under room temperatures. You can thaw your food in cold water, refrigerator, or in the microwave. Make sure that you always marinate food in the refrigerator.
5. Peeling vegetables and fruits without washing
Germs are easily transferred from the skin of fruits and vegetables to their insides while cutting or peeling them. This happens when you cut or peel vegetables or fruits without first washing them. To avoid this, wash all fruits and vegetables under running water. Use a clean brush to scrub melons, avocados, and other firm fruits and vegetables. Don’t use soap or detergent to wash the vegetables and fruits.
6. Eating foods that are risky for you
Some individuals are more prone to food poisoning if they eat certain kinds of foods. Under-cooked or raw animal products, raw sprouts, and unpasteurized milk and juices are some of the examples. Such individuals must stay away from all those foods that are considered risky for them.
7. Putting cooked meat on a plate used for keeping raw meat
When raw meat is placed on a plate, germs from the meat spread out on it. They spread to the cooked meat if it is placed on the same plate without washing it thoroughly. So, make sure that you use separate plates for raw and cooked meat.