Why Hygiene is Important on Food Preparation

In Canada, there are an estimated 11 million cases of foodborne illness each year and even though most people fully recover, these illness can cause serious health complications and sometimes even death.

Good practices of hygiene are essential for food preparation, both in industry and in the domestic setting also, to avoid illness, food poisoning and even death. Whenever you handle food you need to be aware of food hygiene. It means you should know how to store and prepare food correctly.

Here are a few tips on good hygiene practice during food preparation :

1. Hand washing is extremely important when working with food. Hands should be washed before and after food preparation, before and after using kitchen utensils, after handling raw food to avoid cross-contamination, after using the toilet, after sneezing, coughing, blowing the nose, smoking, touching the hair or face and emptying bins.
2. Avoid cross-contamination of raw and cooked foods, use separate cutting boards and equipment when preparing raw meat and other foods, wash the boards and equipment thoroughly in hot, soapy water after use, then dry them.
3. Cooking with Raw Meats. Always cook all poultry, pork and ground beef. Control the amount of time perishable food is kept in the danger zone (5.-63 Celcius), prepare foods quickly then refrigerate or cook them. Do not leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours as bacteria multiply in these conditions.
4. Food storage in kitchen is as importans as cooking correctly. Storing food at cold temperatures slow the growth microorganisms, therby limiting food poisoning while preserving food’s nutritional qualities and good taste.
5. Keep raw and cooked food separate during preparation.
6. Cleaning up is very important basic thing after cooking in the kitchen. Washing and wiping down your kitchen equipment using the correct hygiene products can reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

References : Examining Food & Nutrition by Jenny Ridgwell (1996), www.huffingtonpost.ca (2002), www.hygieneexpert.co.uk, www.thehygienecompany.com.