Correct Food Hygiene is Essential in Keeping the Whole Family Healthy.

I learned about correct food hygiene before I could even cook, which is actually the right way of doing it! In school, my first home economics teacher taught us all three basic principles before we were allowed into the kitchen to cook. First of all, girls were told to tie back their hair so that it would not fall into food during food preparation and then a clean apron had to be put on. This was followed by the most important task of all and that involved thoroughly washing our hands under warm soapy water. Only then could we start cooking. Our teacher would watch us to make sure we carried out these three basic steps.

Professional training

As I got older and I dealt with some basic aspects of food preparation at work, I had to undergo rigorous food hygiene training. Out of all my work based training, I found this the most interesting and relevant training, that I could apply to my own life. I had to achieve a very high pass rate in my exam before I received my certificate. This was only fair. I did not want to have just a partial knowledge of food hygiene. I learned so much more than just the need to regularly wash my hands during the cooking process. I also learned of the need to remove rings, except for a plain wedding band, and watches. I did not realize that these were a potential breeding ground for germs. If I watch cookery shows today I check closely to see if chefs are wearing lots of rings and a watch. Most times they are and this puts me off a bit. I am also put off when I see celebrity chefs wiping their hands on their aprons, rather than washing their hands. There are so many easy, preventative measures that you can take to ensure you and your family will not contract food poisoning. Covering cuts and grazes with a waterproof dressing is one method and keeping fingernails clean and short is another. Avoid using nail polish,as it can chip and slip into food. Teach other family members to do the same thing. If anyone in the house has a cold, it is best to stay away from food preparation until they are feeling well again. Blowing your nose around food is quite unpleasant and unhygienic.

Avoiding cross contamination

One of the most important things to try and avoid when preparing food is cross contamination, that can then lead to food poisoning. This can easily occur if you use the same cutting board for meat and vegetables, or even cheese. I once heard of a young girl who died after eating a cheese sandwich. This may seem very bizarre and I thought so too, until I knew the whole story. Her parents had bought some cheese from a butcher's and given her a cheese sandwich to eat. The butcher had sliced the cheese on the same cutting board that he had cut up some meat. Blood from the meat had contaminated the cheese with CJD, the human form of Mad Cow Disease. Sadly, the young girl died. Eliminate all shadow of a doubt from your kitchen by using different cutting boards for each task at hand. You might find it useful to use little stickers in the corner, according to what they will be used for, red for raw meat, white for dairy, yellow for cooked meat and blue for fish. If you only have one or two cutting boards though, thoroughly soak and wash them in between tasks. This will greatly reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Cooking process

During the cooking process, make sure that high risk foods such as meat products are cooked to a high temperature and that there is no trace of blood. Follow recipes that require specific cooking times and try not to second guess it. It is better to be sure that meat is properly cooked than face days of sickness as a result of food poisoning. Invest in a meat thermometer. It is a valuable little kitchen tool. Try to eat food as soon as it is cooked, as it will be at its best. Leftovers can be put into the fridge after the food has cooled down completely. Be careful when reheating food so that the internal temperature of the food is high. Food should be piping hot throughout. Do not reheat food more than once, as this will place you or your family members at risk of food poisoning.

Correct storage

Learn to correctly arrange food in the fridge. Meat should ideally be placed in the bottom portion of the fridge and carefully secured, so that meat juices do not drip onto other food items and contaminate them. Desserts and dairy products can be placed at the top of the fridge and again, they should be secured. Produce should be put into the crisper drawer, which will help keep it fresh and out of contact with other food products. It is easy to overlook spillages in the fridge, but these should really be cleaned up as soon as you discover them. Maintain the hygiene of the inside of your fridge as well as the way in which you prepare the food. If food has been sitting in the fridge uneaten for some days it is best to throw it away. Food does not always have to omit an unpleasant smell for it to be bad. It can look and smell perfectly normal. But after a few days it will start to break down. It is best to be on the safe side. As much as I hate any waste when it comes to food, I will throw away food when I know it has been sitting in the fridge for too long and I am not entirely sure it is still safe to eat. There is not much point in slaving over your stove if you end up giving your family food poisoning! If you follow these simple techniques you are more likely to succeed as a health conscious cook, with food hygiene ingrained in your mind. Then it will come naturally to you and you will not need to think twice about what to do next.