Ensuring Food Safety At Home
Debi Mukherjee (India, 30/04/06)
Onset of summer leads to many problems affecting our health. Occurrence of Sunstroke and food poisoning are quite frequent. Not only we have to take measures protecting us from scorching heat but also be familiar with ways and means to minimize the chances of food poisoning/contamination.
The notion that who dines at home and seldom goes to restaurants is free from danger of infection with pathogenic bacteria ((bacteria causing food poisoning) is wrong.
A new approach called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is highly recommended for ensuring food safety at home.
The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept was developed in the early 1970s as a system to assure the safety of food products. This is a new method of hygiene control comprising Hazard Analysis (HA) and Critical Control Points (CCP).
Hazard is defined as potential to cause harm. For example presence of the following in food make people sick or die:
Ø Chemicals ( pesticides/poisonous metals like lead)
Ø Extraneous or foreign bodies (dirt, sand, rodent hair or excreta, straws, pieces of stones etc.)
Ø Bugs (microbes and parasites).
The above are called hazards and amongst these microbes are the most important cause of illness.
At this stage it is necessary to elaborate further on microbes. Microbes are:
§ Small living things invisible to the naked eye
§ Can grow extremely quickly
§ In order to grow and multiply, need food, water, time, and a warm temperature.
Sources of Microbes: -
· Water
· Raw or uncooked food
· Animals, pests or people
· Dirty surfaces
· Poor personal hygiene like dirty cloth, hands and nails.
Critical Control Point (CCP) is defined as a point, step or procedure at which control could be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable level. In case of cooking at home the following six points are the “CCP” to ensure food is safe and are not contaminated with microbes:
1. Purchasing of food
· Purchase fresh food such as fruits, vegetables, fish, meat
· In case of packed food articles like spices, edible oils, biscuits, bread, milk, ensure the pack is intact, has a label with date of packing and best before.
2. Storing at home
· Take the food which needs refrigerating or freezing immediately into the refrigerator
· To prevent raw juices of meat or fish dripping into other foods in the refrigerators, use plastic bags or containers
· Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling any meat, fish or eggs. It is important to wash away the soap bubbles well after use. It is very simple but the best way to prevent microbial contamination.
3. Pre-preparation
· Use clean chopping boards, knives, plates, utensils and cloths
· Wash rice, pulses repeatedly at least five to six times
· Do not cut foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits or vegetables with unwashed kitchen knives or on cutting boards after cutting raw meat or fish
· Practise good personal hygiene
4. Cooking
· Kitchen should be clean. Keep flies, rats, mice, cockroaches away from food
· Cook the food thoroughly. Cooking will destroy food poisoning bacteria even if they are present
· When microwaving foods, microwave safe containers should be used. Sometimes it is necessary to stir a product which is not easily reheated.
5 Eating
· Wash hands before eating
· Serve cooked products on clean plates with clean utensils with a spoon. Serving food straight after cooking would be the ideal choice.
· Never leave food at room temperature for long thus minimizing the chances of bacteria to grow and multiply.
6. Left overs
· Store left overs in clean utensil covered with lid and put in the refrigerator
· Discard anything left out at room temperature too long
· When reheating left overs, take the container out of the refrigerator and keep it at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Reheat it thoroughly.
· If in doubt, throw it out without eating. Do not put it in the mouth.
