Food Safety action points

Ensuring that food is safe for consumption can be easily managed, by dividing up the processes of producing a meal.

Whether it be at home, or in the commercial world, such as a grand restaurant or a fast food outlet, the safety of food is of the highest importance. Thus why we have compiled some key action points for each of the processes, which should help to reduce the possibility of food poisoning affecting your livelihood.

Personal Hygiene

Common sense alone indicates the need to wash your hands before coming into contact with food. Research has suggested that up to 40% of the British population do not regularly wash their hands. Furthermore hair should be tied back to ensure it does not come into contact with the food.

Separation of food

Whilst our body should not come into contact with food, it is possibly of a greater importance that various foods do not cross. Raw meat should be kept separate from all other ingredients, and thus the use of two chopping boards should be encouraged, to help prevent this. Many are well aware of the dangers of raw meat and its ability to make you sick... yet others are oblivious to the threat cross contamination poses. In the food industry it is vital that training courses are undertaken, in order to realise this danger.

This attitude needs to be taking not only when cooking food, but also when handling it. When stocking food it is important that shelves and fridges are treated in the same manner as the separate chopping boards.

Cooking

Many often complain about their food being cold, however it is even more worrying and increasinglydangerous should they feel their meal has not been cooked. When cooking the food at high temperatures bacteria is killed off, and thus the threat removed. It is of vital importance that a judgement isn't based on how the food looks on the outside. Gauges must be used to ensure that it has reached the internal minimum temperature.