Sanitation and kitchen safety
Sanitation – means following practices that help prevent disease.
Microorganisms – tiny living creatures visible only through a microscope. Poor food handling practices by people allow harmful microorganisms to grow and spread.
Most harmful microorganism is bacteria. Bacteria is everywhere. They are carried by: People Animals Insects Objects
Many bacteria are harmless but others can cause illness. Sometimes the illness is not caused by the bacteria themselves but by the toxins, or poisons, that they produce. Most harmful bacteria can be tolerated by the human body in small amounts.
Food-borne illness can also be caused by parasites or viruses. Parasites are organisms that get their nutrients from other living organisms. Viruses are the simplest form of life known. A virus from an infected person can be transferred to food that the person handles. Then the food can make someone else sick. Personal hygiene in the kitchen
1. wear clean clothes, cover with apron 2. remove jewelry, roll up long sleeves, tie back hair 3. Scrub hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. Use a brush to clean under and around the nails. 4. Use rubber or plastic gloves if you have an open wound on your hands. 5. Wash your hand immediately after using the bathroom or blowing your nose. 6. Do not sneeze or cough into food. 7. Do not touch your face, hair, or any other part of your body while working with food.
Sanitary work methods
1. Make sure work areas and equipment are clean BEFORE you start. 2. Avoid Cross-contamination – letting microorganisms from one food get into another. 3. Wash the top of a can before opening it. 4. Use a clean spoon each time your taste food during preparation. 5. Keep pets out of kitchen 6. Keep two towels in the kitchen. One for wiping hands and a separate one for drying dishes. It is preferred that you wipe your hands with a paper towel. 7. Use a clean dishcloth each day. Proper Food Temperatures
Bacteria multiply rapidly at temperatures between 60 and 125 degrees. Most food-borne illnesses are caused by bacteria that thrive in these temperatures.
High food temperatures from 165-212 kill most of the harmful bacteria. However, some bacteria produce spores, cells that will develop into bacteria if conditions are just right.
Cold refrigerator temperatures below 40 degrees slow down the growth of bacteria but does not kill them.
Food frozen at 0 degrees stop bacteria from growing. However, if spores are present in the food when the food is thawed bacteria will start to grow again.
Show diagram on proper temperatures for storage.
Food handling guidelines
Many foods require special care to keep them out of the danger zone. These include: Meat Poultry Fish Eggs Dairy 1. Cook food to proper internal temperature. 2. Taste food that contain animal sources only after they have been completely cooked. 3. Do not leave food out for more then two hours at room temperature, or more then one hour if the outside temperature is 90 degrees. 4. Keep extra quantities of food either hot or cold. 5. Do not add more food to a serving dish of food that has been out for a while…use a clean dish. 6. Discard foods that have been help at room temperature for more then two hours. 7. Refrigerate food in shallow containers. Large, deep containers keep the food from cooling rapidly and evenly. 8. When reheating food, bring to an internal temperature of 165 or higher to kill any bacteria.
Thawing Food Safely
Do not thaw food at room temperature. If they do, the outside may contain millions of harmful bacteria by the time the inside is thawed. 1. Place food in the refrigerator, where it will thaw slowly. 2. For faster thawing, put the package in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge it in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. 3. Use the microwave for quick, safe defrosting. Follow manufacture’s directions. Cook immediately.