Are you following these food safety rules in your kitchen?

Are you a cleanliness freak and keep your house neat and clean? Well, it might be clean, but when it comes to the kitchen a double check is important because that is the place where bacteria often develop and it happens due to carelessness in terms of handling food and hygiene levels in the kitchen. According to Smita P Mishra, Founder, Fandoro Technology, “We all have right to safe food and the system needs to produce safe food for the systematic health development of society, economy, and environment at large. Local actions are essential for sustainable development in the food safety world.” Today, as we celebrate World Food Safety Day, let us tell you about some very basic food safety rules that you should take care of in your kitchen for a healthier life. (Image: istock)

When it comes to the kitchen, hygiene is very important and the first step in this direction is proper and regular washing of your hands before and after you prepare food. It is suggested to wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food. Also, make sure that your kitchen counter is disinfected every day to ensure hygiene. (Image: istock)

In case your deep freezer is generating too much ice, don’t worry, it is good for your food and meats. It has been proven that extreme cold temperature slows the growth of bacteria. The best temperature for your refrigerator is below 40 degrees F. (Image: istock)

While handling the fridge, you need to be extra careful in sorting sections for raw meats, poultry, and seafood. Make sure that every item is sealed tightly, so that no juices run out. Also, make sure that eggs are stored in the carton and not kept open in the fridge door. (Image: istock)

For defrosting meat and veggies, we often leave them on the counter, which is a wrong habit. The right way to defrost food is to microwave them or keep them under cold water. Refrain from leaving foods out on the counter to defrost. According to experts, while the outer portion will be fit to use after some time, inside it will still be frozen and cooking such food items can cause long term illnesses. (Image: istock)

This might sound tedious to many, but to avoid the transferring of bacteria from one food item to another, always keep chopping board and knife separate. The knife and board used for dry fruits should never be used for meat and veggies and so on. Label them or use colour code for convenience. Also, be sure to wash knives and boards after every single use. (Image: istock)

If you are in a rush and thinking of cooking a meat dish, avoid it. It is important to understand that cooking meat to the right internal temperature is important, so that it doesn’t react in the body and slow down digestion. According to the USDA meats like veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), and fish should be cooked at 145 degrees F, pork and ground should be cooked at 160 degrees F, and poultry should be cooked at 165 degrees F. (Image: istock)

When you are reheating the leftover food, make sure that they reach a temperature of 165 degrees before serving. According to research, this is the temperature at which the heat kills all potential illness-causing bacteria that often develop in leftover food, if not stored properly. (Image: istock)

It often happens that we forget to keep the leftovers or even freshly cooked food in the refrigerator. According to experts, food left out on the counter should be monitored. If the food is left outside for more than two hours or even one hour and if the temperature is hotter than 32 degree Celsius, there are chances the food is no more fit for consumption. Hence, it is suggested to refrigerate the perishable foods to avoid any damage. (Image: istock)

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