Food Safety Mistakes
Food Safety Mistakes
Food poisoning is a
common issue that can be prevented by following food safety procedures. Food poisoning can occur in any setting where
food is being handled and cooked and can also occur in the home. Following food safety tips can help create a
safer food atmosphere and keep you from getting sick.
One mistake is tasting
food to see if it is still good. Food
might still taste okay even if it is expired or contains bacteria that could
make you sick. Never use this to
determine if food is still safe to eat.
Another mistake is putting cooked food back on the same plate that once
held raw meat. This can be a common
practice that might occur when grilling food outside, but this can cause
cross-contamination. Bacteria from the
raw meat can now be in the read-to-eat food, which can cause food poisoning. Always keep raw and ready-to-eat foods
separate. Another mistake is thawing food on the counter. This is dangerous because the room
temperature can cause foods to get in the temperature danger zone which is between
40 °F - 140 °F. This zone creates an environment when
pathogens grow. This also goes with
letting food cool before refrigerating. Never
leave food out for more than two hours without refrigeration to avoid
illness-causing bacteria to grow.
Washing meat or poultry
is another practice that should be avoided.
Doing this can spread the bacteria from the raw meat to your kitchen
surfaces. Another unhealthy practice is
eating raw cookie dough or foods that contain raw ingredients. The eggs may contain Salmonella or flour may contain E.
coli which are types of bacteria that can make you sick. Using the same marinade for raw meat and then
again for the cooked meat is also a harmful practice that could cause food
poisoning. This spreads bacteria to the
food you will be eating. Undercooking meat,
poultry, seafood, or eggs should also be avoided because you need a high enough
temperature to kill any harmful bacteria from those products. Checking food with a food thermometer is a
good practice to see if the food is safe to eat.
Another mistake is not
washing your hands. Bacteria can live on
your hands so it is important to always wash your hands thoroughly to kill
illness-causing bacteria. The last
mistake is not replacing sponges and dish rags.
These items can also contain harmful pathogens so it is important to
regularly sanitize and replace them to protect yourself from getting sick.
It’s important to follow
these food safety practices in the kitchen to help avoid food poisoning and foodborne
illness. Avoiding food safety mistakes
will creating a healthier environment and decrease the opportunity for harmful
bacteria to grow and live.
NT
Wolfram, T. (2017). 10 common food safety mistakes.
Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/food-poisoning/10-common-food-safety-mistakes
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