How to prevent the spread of bacteria to prevent food poisoning?

Proper preparation and handling of food is essential for the prevention and avoidance of food-related illnesses (food poisoning). Before you fire up the grill for summer meals, picnics and parties, here’s some important information about foodborne illness.

Before and after handling food, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds. Rinse your hands after touching raw meat, eggs or unwashed vegetables. Hand sanitizers cannot replace hand washing.

• Handle raw animal products properly.

Improperly handled animal products are a common source of foodborne illness. It is important that you take the appropriate measures to ensure that these products are safe for consumption.

When preparing meat, do not rinse it under running water. This can spread bacteria from meat to other surfaces in your kitchen, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. If there is any liquid from the wrapper that you wish to remove, you can pat it dry with a paper towel. Cross-contamination can increase these risks. Do not let these products touch other surfaces or foods.

Also, if you thaw frozen meat or poultry products, use proper thawing techniques to prevent the growth and proliferation of bacteria. The FDA has approved several thawing techniques, including placing food in the refrigerator beforehand, thawing food under running cold water, and thawing food in the microwave. Never let food sit at room temperature for long periods of time, as this will promote the growth of bacteria and the development of foodborne illnesses.

• Use utensils, surfaces and equipment, clean and disinfected.

Before preparing food, make sure that surfaces and equipment that food will touch are clean and sanitized to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in food.

Cleaning involves removing dirt and pathogens with soap and water. Disinfection kills bacteria once utensils and equipment have been cleaned.

You should always start with a clean prep station and after working for 4 consecutive hours you should clean and sanitize your station. This is the time it takes for the bacteria to reach dangerous levels.

Avoiding cross-contamination can also prevent the growth and spread of dangerous pathogens.

• Use food before it expires.

It is often believed that, as long as there are no apparent signs of spoilage, food that has expired is safe to eat. This is not necessarily the case.

Generally, pathogens reach dangerous levels even though we cannot see, smell or taste them.

It is safest not to use food after the printed date. Foods are more likely to go rancid or spoil. No cooking or other food preparation technique can guarantee food safety.

• Keep animals away from food and food preparation areas.

When it comes to transmitting diseases, animals are among the worst culprits. Chances are you don’t bathe your dog or cat as regularly and they spend hours outside, so they often carry diseases.

Think about all the places your pet may have gone, the objects it may have picked up from its fur, and all the surfaces its paws have touched. Affected areas he may have come into contact with are not checked as frequently, increasing the risk of spread.

For this reason, your pets should have limited contact with places where food is prepared. With the exception of service animals, it is often dangerous for your pets to be in the kitchen, as they can also get burned, injured or ingest something harmful. It’s safer for you and your furry friend to stay out of the kitchen.