Food Safety
Containers and Covers Kill Contamination
Bacteria spread quickly, and keeping food separate and covered reduces the risk of bacterial cross-contamination. If you have taken the trouble to prepare food hygienically, don't let germs contaminate it from other raw foods, soiled kitchen equipment, or people, pets and pests. Here are some simple ways of keeping foods separate:
- Always store food in containers or wrap it up well in foil or cling film - whether in the cupboard, the fridge or the freezer.
- In the fridge, place cooked foods above raw foods and make sure that raw meat, poultry and fish are at the bottom, covered - and in a container to catch any drips.
- When preparing food, keep raw and cooked ingredients separate. Use separate chopping boards and utensils for raw meat and wash them carefully with hot, soapy water immediately after use.
- If you have cuts or abrasions on your hands, cover them with waterproof dressing before you start work in the kitchen.
- Keep food and drink covered so that your pets or insects, birds and vermin cannot contaminate it. Throw away food which animals or insects have touched, and thoroughly clean any suspect surfaces. Ask your milkman to cover bottle tops to prevent birds pecking through them and contaminating the milk.
- Wipe the tops of cans of food or drinks before opening them.
- Keep your kitchen rubbish bins covered and empty them frequently. Clean the bin with a suitable detergent and disinfectant - and then wash your hands.
It's a wipe out
Thorough cleaning is the way to ensure harmful bacteria are kept under control. There is no such thing as a completely sterile environment, but following a few simple rules can help keep invisible enemies - like the bacteria Salmonella, E coli O157, Listeria and Campylobacter - at bay.
- Clean as you go. Wipe up spills on shelves, clean out your fridge regularly and, if possible, wipe with a suitable detergent and disinfectant. Storage areas should be clean, cool and dry.
- Wash all surfaces, utensils, and chopping boards with hot water and washing up liquid as soon as possible after use, and if possible with a suitable detergent and disinfectant.
- When washing down surfaces change your soapy water regularly and rinse with clean, hot water. Don't forget that cloths, sponges, scourers, towels and your kitchen rubbish bin need to be washed and disinfected too.
- Dirty hands spread germs. So keep them clean, and encourage your family to do the same. Wash them with warm soapy water and dry them on a clean towel before working with food - especially after visiting the loo, changing nappies, combing your hair, blowing your nose, handling raw food or touching any type of rubbish, or your pets.
- Germs lurk in jewellery, so take off ornate rings and bracelets before working with food.
- If there is a baby in the house, wipe surfaces such as high chairs, bibs and eating areas with a suitable detergent and disinfectant and keep floors as clean as you can.
- If you are barbecuing, clean your utensils first (tongs, skewers and forks) and be careful not to contaminate cooked meat by using ones that have touched raw or partially cooked meat. Do not place your utensils on the ground between use.
Foodlink, c/o Food and Drink Federation, 6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JJ. Tel: 020 7836 2460 Fax: 020 7379 0481 Email: foodlink@fdf.org.uk Web: www.foodlink.org.uk
