Health Desk
It commonly takes place when raw food like meat, fish or chicken touches or its blood drips onto ready-to-eat foods like yogurt, salads, kebabs, burgers etc. So, it is very important to prevent food contamination as it is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Following precautions may be taken to prevent it:
* Always wash hands with running water before handling food.
* Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw food like poultry, meat and fish.
* Clean and disinfect working surfaces, chopping boards and any equipment like blender before and after preparing any raw food and before starting to prepare any food.
* Use different chopping boards and knives for raw food like chicken, meat and fish and ready-to-eat foods.
* Store meat, fish and chicken separately from vegetable, fruits, and ready-to-eat foods like frozen foods nuggets, sausages etc.
* If possible, use separate freezer/fridge compartments to store raw food and cooked food. If this is not possible, then, always store raw food in lower compartments so that any blood does not drip onto cooked food.
* Use separate sponges for washing and cleaning areas, utensils or equipment for raw and cooked food.
Second C: Cleaning
Secondly, even if food is not cross-contaminated, cleaning plays a vital role in getting rid of infectious disease-spreading bacteria from hands, utensils and working surfaces. Please do the following things in order to keep food clean:
* Wash and dry hand before handling food.
* Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw food like poultry, meat and fish.
* Clean and disinfect working surfaces, chopping boards and any equipment like blender before and after preparing any raw food and before starting to prepare any food.
* Clear and clean as you go about preparing food. It means throwing away any peels, split food etc.
* Do not leave unwashed utensils in the sink.
* Always follow manufacturer’s equipment for using disinfectants.
Third C: Chilling
Thirdly, we need to put raw or cooked food in freezer or refrigerator which is called chilling of food. Proper chilling of food stops degradation of food as harmful bacteria do not multiply. For example, food with a ‘use by’ date, cooked dishes and other ready-to-eat food such as prepared salads and desserts, should not be left standing
