FooD Safety

Do u Know of the "Invisible enemy" present in food? Even though the food might look appealing and safe for consumption, there might be present of millions of Bacteria on your food. Bacteria are known as "invisible enemy" as they are too small for our naked eyes to see and could cause serious illness to those who consume them. These bacteria may be present on foods when purchased or get into food during preparation, cooking, serving or storage.
Here are some of the important facts of bacteria:

1. Bacteria are a part of all living things and are found on all raw agricultural products
2. Harmful bacteria can be transferred from food to people, people onto food, or from one food to another
3. Bacteria can grow rapidly at room temperature
4. Growth of harmful bacteria in food can be slowed or stopped by refrigerating or freezing
5. Food-related illness can produce symptoms from mild to very serious. Illness can occur from 30 minutes to two weeks after eating food containing harmful bacteria

So how can we fight against these invisible enemies? Follow these 4 simple rules!

• CLEAN - Wash hands, utensils and surfaces in hot soapy water before and after food preparation, and especially after preparing meat, poultry, eggs or seafood to protect adequately against bacteria. Using a disinfectant cleaner or a mixture of bleach and water on surfaces and antibacterial soap on hands can provide some added protection.
• SEPARATE - Keep raw meat, poultry, eggs and seafood and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods; never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, eggs or seafood.
• COOK - Cook food to the proper internal temperature (this varies for different cuts and types of meat and poultry) and check for doneness with a food thermometer. Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm.
• CHILL - Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours and make sure the refrigerator is set at no higher than 40°F and that the freezer unit is set at 0°F.