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Earlier this year, South Africa faced the largest outbreak of listeriosis in the world. Although considerable steps have been taken to control the outbreak of listeriosis, the recent recall of some frozen foods in supermarkets has worried consumers.
According to the Food Standards Agency, four out of five people in the world are at risk for food-related illnesses because of poor hygiene habits in the kitchen.
The Association of Chiefs SA
"It is important for us as consumers to understand how bacteria can spread during handling, preparation and storage of food", says James Khoza, president of SA Chefs Association.
"Poor practices of household and personal hygiene can allow the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms.
That is why it is essential to identify the hidden means of spreading dangerous bacteria and other microorganisms in the kitchen and how better health and hygiene choices can be implemented to reduce risks, "says Karin Kok, G360, responsible for solutions and institutional support for Middle East / Africa for ECOLAB
The Association of South African Chefs and ECOLAB share three preventative measures to prevent food-related illnesses at home and at work.
Preparing Food Properly
- Microorganisms can be transferred during food preparation and, therefore, the most important thing to consider when handling food is to have clean hands. This means washing your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap several times during the food preparation process.
- Raw foods from animal sources such as beef, pork or poultry must be cooked well to a safe internal temperature of more than 60 ° C, except for chicken that must be over 75 ° C C. Foods kept warm between 40 ° and 60 ° C are fertile soil for bacteria, so if you are heating cooked food, make sure the temperature is above 60 ° C.
- When preparing fruit and vegetables, be sure to rinse them with running water before eating to eliminate pathogens in the soil. If you do not have access to clean water, boil it before using it to rinse your food.
Keep the kitchen clean
- Kitchens house more microorganisms than any other room in the office or kitchen, so it's important to keep them clean.
- This includes disinfection of countertops, deep cleaning of cutting boards and utensils, and regular change of dish towels and tea towels.
- The use of disposable dish cloths is a good option to avoid cross-contamination and, as far as possible, use non-porous cutting boards, as they do not pose the same dangers for harboring bacteria .
- Unlike other foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can grow in contaminated chilled foods.
- To prevent Listeria from cleaning the inside walls and shelves of your refrigerator with hot water and liquid soap once a week. If there is a spill in your refrigerator, especially the juice packs of raw meat, meat and poultry, clean them immediately and disinfect the area with bleach or a bleach. disinfectant.
Storing Food Properly
- Be aware of expiry dates, they are there for a reason.
- Storing food too long in the refrigerator is dangerous and leftovers should be used within three to four days.
- To preserve the remains, distribute them in shallow containers as this promotes rapid and uniform cooling and tag your remains with the date of storage.
- Make sure your refrigerator is set to the correct temperature. should be cooled within two hours.
- According to SA 962, freezer temperatures may range from -12 to -18⁰C, but it is recommended that your freezer temperature be below -18⁰C.
- It is strongly recommended to keep raw meat, poultry and seafood separate to avoid cross-contamination. Also remember that if you handle or store food, do not touch cooked food unless you have washed your hands.
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