Top 20 Tips to keep food contamination at bay
At the outset of rising food poisoning from a string of E Coli contamination from spinach, beef and lettuce, it becomes even more essential for the consumers to take-up certain precautionary measures for minimizing the risks. An article in Chicago Tribune lists out tips for food safety, pertaining to local, processed or bagged vegetables and
meat products. The tips are as follows:
Local Produce
1. Washing your hands and then wiping it clean, before cutting the vegetables.
2. Thoroughly rinse both bagged vegetables and fresh produce in cold water, before and after cutting the veggies.
3. Do not prefer the produce from Ontario or Californian counties.
4. Cut shrunken or dried leaves from lettuce heads and cabbage, just as you prune dead leaves from a plant.
5. Pre-cut meats, fruits and veggies are more vulnerable to the E Coli bacteria and therefore you should check the packaging date and use-by date before purchasing pre-cut stuff.
6. Use clean utensils and cutlery while handling vegetables, fruits and meats.
7. Keep your pantry, refrigerator and vegetable basket clean.
8. Do not use leftover veggies and peeled veggies kept at room temperature for more than two hours.
9. Consume only pasteurized juices and purees.
10. Use separate utensils and cutting boards for vegetables and meats.
Meats
1. Store meats and fish in clean food foils and wraps and push them into the deep freezer if you are not intending to use them for the next two or three days.
2. Utensils used to store raw meats should never be used for serving cooked meats.
3. You should check the internal temperature of meats and then cook it at 160 to 165 degrees to kill the harmful bacteria, while cooking or processing meats.
4. It is better to thaw meats inside the refrigerator to avoid contamination during temperature conversions.
5. Do not cook meats for a long time in a low-oven temperature. The longer you cook the meats in a roast or grill the more it will be prone to bacterial inhibition.
6. Do not leave meats partially cooked.
7. Do not leave uncooked or partially cooked meats at room temperature for more than two hours.
8. Do not be tempted to taste odorous leftover meat.
9. Set the temperature of your refrigerator below 40 degrees.
10. Check the source of the meat that you purchase.
