Scholars claim that food is never entirely safe. They explain this by the fact that it is hardly possible to test all food items for all imaginable foodborne pathogens, contaminants, toxins, or adulterants (Borchers et al, “Food Safety”). This would also make food too expensive. While in each country there is an agency whose job is to oversee food safety, on an individual level consumers should take care of food safety themselves. In this paper, an overview of cooking, cleaning, and bacteria-prevention measures will be discussed.
Proper cooking is believed to be the top barrier against various foodborne diseases. Cooking temperatures are specified in recipes, but food may be cooked at higher temperatures if this will not compromise its quality. Eggs, for example, should be cooked for 15 sec at a temperature 145 deg F. Meat should be cooked at a temperature 165 deg F at a temperature 165 deg F for 15 min or more. Comminuted foods should be cooked at a temperature 155 F for at least 15 sec (Hernandez, “Food Safety: Preparation and Cooking”).
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Proper cleaning of food, hands, and eating utensils is also a barrier to bacteria spread and to the spread of food-borne illnesses. For example, to prevent contamination from cleaning rags as well as dishtowels, color-coded cleaning rags may be used corresponding to specific area of food preparation. Disposable towers should be used. Utensils and food thermometers should be placed into containers with sanitizing solution. Also, to avoid cross-contamination (which occurs when raw meat, seafood, and poultry contact with cooked food) one should regularly wash hands and use gloves and disposable aprons, which are to be changed in-between between the tasks. Tools are to be clean and sanitary (Hernandez, “Food Safety: Preparation and Cooking”).
Cleaning fruit and vegetables is very important. It prevents many food-borne illnesses, in particular those caused by salmonella, E.coli, and Listeria. It will also help remove the traces of pesticides (“Why Is It Important to Wash Vegetables Before Eating Them?”).
- Borchers, Adrea et al. “Food Safety.” Clinical Reviews and Allergy and Immunology. 2009.
Web. 15 Feb. 2014. - Hernandez, Jorge. “Food Safety: Preparation and Cooking.” Food Management. May 1998.
Web. 15 Feb. 2014. - “Why Is It Important to Wash Vegetables Before Eating Them?” Livestrong.com. Aug. 16,
2013. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.
