Kitchen Safety Essay Example

separate; this means keep foods separate. If you touch raw meat, then you should not touch other foods until you wash your hands for twenty seconds with soapy warm water.

You want to use separate utensils for each food item, this will stop cross contamination. Never reuse the plate where raw meat or vegetables have been placed, when done cooking the food items. When grocery shopping, do not place different foods together in the same bag, keep separate. Place meats in one, produce in another, boxed in another, and never place cleaning products or chemicals in with food items. Keep foods separate in the refrigerator, place thawing meats on a plate, because the juices could run into another food item causing cross contamination, and bacteria to grow.

It is also important to keep eggs separate from other foods, because there could be bacteria on the eggs or the carton, again causing cross contamination and bacteria to spread. Wow, I did pretty well with this one. If by chance I am cooking chicken and hamburger at the same time, they go in different plates; I never place two different types of raw meat in the same plate, even after cooking. I always keep my foods separate in the grocery bags. When I separate raw meats from the family pack, I wash my hands, and use a cutting board to separate the raw meats.

When moving to a different raw meat, my hands and the cutting board are washed with warm soapy water, and I even wipe the counter top down. Cooking is another important step to cut down on bacteria in foods. Raw

meats can cause food illnesses. I like my steak medium to medium rare, besides it not being healthy; I am putting myself at risk of a food illness. To stop the exposure of food illnesses, hot food should be kept at or above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and cold food at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

When microwaving foods 165 degrees Fahrenheit is important to stop the bacteria for food illnesses. Using a food thermometer is important to tell if the food is at the right temperature on the inside, if not bacteria can spread. Just looking at the food such as texture, color, and maybe cutting into it does not necessarily mean that the food is cooked thoroughly. I scored badly on this step, I do not own a cooking thermometer, and I go by color, texture, and what the food looks like on the inside.

I do on the other hand keep foods on a warming plate for family get together and cold foods in the refrigerator, which is set at 38 degrees Fahrenheit. We have covered clean, separate, and cook, the last step is chill. The USDA notes that bacteria can grow on foods within two hours, and during the summer months that time is shorten to less than an hour. When thawing and marinating foods, do not leave at room temperature, place them in the refrigerator. Bacteria can grow at a rapid pace at room temperature.

When storing leftovers, store foods in separate containers. For this step I didn’t do so badly, I do not thaw food in the refrigerator, I usually wash sink and place in cold water,

and the USDA says that this is safe way to thaw meats, along with the microwave. I have a grocery store in my small town, but they are usually higher priced than the city grocery stores so it’s a half hour to the store, an hour in the store, then a half hour back home. The meat’s, produce and frozen foods are close if not over the two hour limit for bacteria growth.

I start unpacking meats and frozen foods first, placing them in the freezer and hitting the power freeze button, then I place the produce and cold foods in the refrigerator and hitting the power cool button. I do keep my refrigerator on 38 degrees Fahrenheit, this way I know bacteria will not grow. Even when I do grocery shop I always shop for perishable items last, such as produce, meats, and frozen foods. There are a few misconception’s that I would like to cover, such as keeping hot foods on the counter to cool before placing in the refrigerator.

The USDA suggests that this is ok as long as you refrigerator the food before two hours, or one hour if the room temperature is at 90 degrees Fahrenheit. We all have leftovers in our refrigerator, and probably smell the foods before we eat them to see if they are safe to eat. Bacteria that cause food illnesses does not affect the smell, look, or taste of the food. To know when to throw the food out, the USDA had created a safe storage times chart, to inform you when to throw the food out.

If you do not have

a copy of the chart, you can go by the old saying; “When in doubt, just throw it out! ” I would like to go over some things that I believe is important in the kitchen to help cut down on bacteria that the USDA has not covered. Let’s start with the trash can; this is a bacteria infested item in your kitchen, and trash bags do not help. Bags leak and food juices are ending up in the bottom of your trash can, creating bacteria. Trash cans should be cleaned weekly with bleach and water to kill any bacteria growing in your trash can.

Keeping your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, does cut down on bacteria growing, but it should be wiped out with a mild soap and water to stop any cross contamination, and to kill any bacteria that may be starting to grow. This should also be done once a week, or even if you spill something in it. Produce should be kept at a low humidity, and in separate containers or bags to stop cross contamination. Lunch boxes should be washed out on regular bases. Those reusable grocery bags are great for the environment; but can carry all sorts of bacteria that cause food illnesses.

After each use they should be washed in the washing machine or dishwasher using hot water. The most important four words to remember to have food and kitchen safety is; clean, separate, cook, and chill. Keeping food preparation surfaces, and utensils clean, washing your hands for twenty seconds, keeping foods seperate, no cross contamination, and cooking and chilling food properly should cut down on

the bacteria that causes food illnesses. I will be learning to count to twenty when washing my hands, and investing in a cooking thermometer to keep my family from food illnesses.

I will also be printing the safety storage time chart, and educating my family on leftovers, and food, kitchen safety. Since this is the last paragraph, I think this is important to add here. When you are completely done with all food preparation, cooking, and dishes; counter tops, stove tops, microwave, and sink should all be cleaned with a clean dish wash cloth, and then placed in the dirty clothes. With all of these tips and suggestions from the USDA, you should be able to keep yourself, friends, and family safe from any food borne illnesses.