12 Food Security Rules That You Always Break

Errors occur. Fortunately, these food security errors have all easy fixes.


Many 48 million people fallingVictim of foodborne illnesses Each year could have done anything to avoid them. After all, we can only respectRoman lettuce remembers E. coli andEgg reminders for Salmonella Once the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) reports them. But you do not believe how many food security errors are between our hands ... literally.

We asked for culinary professionals for the summitFood security errors They see, with tips on how to solve them and avoid them.

Hot food refrigerated to incorrect preparation products, these are the 12 food errors you can no longer allow you to do in the kitchen. Hit these habits at the edge of the border and read on the52 hacks of changing cooking of life that will be happy to cook again.

1

Allowing food to enter the temperature danger zone.

leftovers in open plastic containers
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Bacteria multiply between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, called "the danger zone" in food security. In fact, bacteria levels can double in just 20 minutes of this temperature, according to theU.s. Ministry of Agriculture (USDA).

How to repair it: Refrigerate cooked food within two hours. Keep hot hot foods, rather than just warm or ambient temperature - in a slow cooker or a cooker. And keep the cold cooled foods by serving them on ice.

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2

Refrigeration of hot remains.

hot food in fridge
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The danger zone is not just something that can happen on your table or outside. You can alsoProvoke your refrigerator To enter a heat waves if you place always hot leftovers inside.

How to repair it: Allow hot foods, such as stews, pans and pasta, cool on the counter or on the hob.

"The FDA recommends cooling foods of 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the first two hours after cooking and 40 degrees Fahrenheit within four hours:" Explains Lisa McManus, Tasting of management and test writing toTest cuisine of America in Boston, Massachusetts. "We remain in these guidelines by cooling the food on the counter for about an hour, up to 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (the food should be touching), then transfer it to the refrigerator.A good investment is a instant reading thermometer, so you can quickly check safe temperatures. "

And while you wait for the big thrill, label your remains by name and the creation date (a masking band and a permanent marker are the perfect tools for the job). In this way, you and your family are always well informed about what is safe to eat.

"Purchase to get rid of more than a week remains," said Tom Beckman, leader instructor atAuguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts In Chicago, Illinois.

3

Define your refrigerator temperature too high.

Refrigerator thermometer
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TheIdeal temperature for your refrigerator is 40 degrees Fahrenheit, andYour freezer should be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below, Says McManus.

How to repair it: "We recommend you buy a fridge and freezer thermometer. Use it and often check that your refrigerator and freezer work properly and safely," she says.

4

Wash the chicken before cooking.

Woman washing chicken
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Poultry does not need a spa day. In fact, you can save time and your health bydo not wash the chicken.

"I'm always surprised at the frequency I see people wash or at least rinse meat," says Beckman. "The chicken should never be rinsed because it will spread thePotential contaminants All around the sink area. "

How to repair it: Before preparing your chicken, squeak the pepper, select your salt, prepare herbs and spices and place them all in a small bowl to season raw meat. In this way, you do not need to touch the pepper mill or the saline box with contaminated hands.

Then, "just tap meats and other meats with paper towels and throw them immediately," suggests McManus.

Now you are ready to grab the meat, but make sure to "discard the rest of the salt and pepper, wash the bowl and wash your hands and everything you touched, using hot water and soapy" , according to McManus.

5

Preparation produces incorrectly.

Washing romaine lettuce
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You do not need to repel premature greens, but you shouldwash products This has not been cleaned yet.

"Premature products are likely to have fewer bacteria - or none of your cooking sink or countertop, and greens wash can actually introduce bacteria," says McManus. "We took swabs of the pre-washed lettuce directly from the bag and the swabs of lettuce that we reactivated in the test kitchen. The lettuce covered with the bacterium grew up in a petri dish, while the Greens. pre-washed intact did not do it. "

Alternatively, Ryan Pfeiffer, executive head atBlackbirdIn Chicago, in Illinois, says it is important to wash products that have not yet crossed the wrinkler. "This is particularly important for things that grow up or come closer to the ground, including root vegetables," he says.

How to repair it: Use pre-washed products as they do; Otherwise, "Strong wash should be done on potatoes and other root vegetables, like carrots and parsnies. Special care should be taken with berries not to ruin them," says Beckman.

With regard to bays, rinse them gently and immediately before use. Generally, you should rinse all fruitsBefore cutting To avoid introducing contaminants into the skin to the flesh, limiting the impact on the quality of the products and reduce the speed of oxidation.

6

Craketing eggs on the edge of a bowl.

Cracking egg
Johnjoh / Flickr

Do not hesitate to make you crack, but do it far from the ship that will hold all your gross ingredients.

"Crash On the edge of the bowl can get a shell in the recipe, thus contaminating all the ingredients, "says Beckman.

In addition, you can spread white or yellow residues on the outside of the bowl that can brighten up at the counter.

How to repair it: Press the egg on your counter, then open it in a separate little bowl. Check the egg for quality and then add add to the larger bowl. Immediately disinfect the counter.

7

Contaminate your cutting boards.

Plastic cutting board
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The use of a large cutting board facilitates the preparation of many ingredients quickly and easily, but it can also be a cross-contamination recipe.

How to repair it: Disinfect your cutting board before startingmeal meal. Then use hot water and soapy before and after each use, according toThe USDA. Invest in a cutting board to dedicate meat and another cutting board to produce.

"When people use fragile thin thin boards too small for the task, they tend to get a small lax with sanitation. Thin cutting boards can also cause injury because they can slipman, says Beckman. He suggests To invest in a bamboo or quality wood board. And be sure to replace the cutting boards too worn with deep grooves and clean to clean.

In addition, do not forget to set up a security space for the trench. "Put some wet paper towels or a kitchen towel under your cutting board to stabilize it on a flat countertop," says Ross Henke, Executive Chief of Quote in Chicago, Illinois. "I do not know how many times I have seen my mother cut vegetables while the cutting board flees slowly from her, otherwise it balances so lightly on the sink of the kitchen to" make cleaning easier "

8

Defrost food on the counter.

Frozen chicken breast
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It's not because generations before us did it, it does not mean that it's a good idea.

"Do not thaw the food by dropping on the counter. And once it is defrosted, do not cool it," says McManus.

How to repair it: The fridge is your friend. MoreSmall pieces of food can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight, Said Beckman, although whole chickens andturkey May take a few days to defrost completely.

"Transfer frozen ingredients to the refrigerator to drop them softly and safely. Before doing it, move the objects in a saucepan, a bag or a bowl to catch drops," says McManus. "Delete everything on the shelf from the bottom so that nothing will drop on another food. "

RELATED: Your guide on the anti-inflammatory regime that heals your intestine, slows the signs of aging and helps you lose weight.

9

Allowing the staples of the pantry to go wrong.

Chickpea flour
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You know that fruits, vegetables, meat and dairyProducts can ruin. But did you know that many items that are typicallystored at room temperature can also? Often, the culprit is small amounts of fat that go Rankid.

How to repair it: "The dry yeast must be kept in the freezer unless it is used every day. Instant and active dry yeasts can be kept in the refrigerator for a year without prejudice," says Beckman. "The flour and nuts can also be kept in the freezer because they havecomponents that go wrong In a few weeks if it is kept at room temperature. "

Also, buy small amounts of oil - as much as you feel that you will use in a month - and store it at room temperature, it adds.

10

Do not wash your hands long enough or correctly.

Washing hands
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Rub a dub-dub-your hands are probably covered with Grub. So wash them early and often to avoid cross-contamination and foodborne disease.

How to repair it: "People do not wash your hands long enough. Washing your hands is one of the best ways to stop the spread of pathogens of food origin, "says McManus. "Wash before and during cooking, especially after touching raw meat and poultry. The FDA recommends at least 20 seconds in hot water and soapy. Try to sing" happy birthday "once on time."

11

To be wrong with label dates.

Low fat food label
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"People are worried about the use of food after the" best by "dates. In general, these dates are on quality, not security. You can always eat food often, "says McManus.

How to repair it: Use our practiceGuide to the expiry date Determine what each of these labels really means. Sometimes you can snack safely on the food after its expiry date.

"Let your nose and your eyes are the judge. If it's just after the date of the" best by "and still feels ok and it looks like, so it's probably good. But if you have the doubt, I'm not worth getting sick. "McManus says.

12

Leaving your sponge turn into a scientific experience.

gross sponges by skin
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You have cleaned your cooking space, but when was the last time you have to clean up your sponge? If you have to think about it, you are probably spawning to germs when you think you "Clean".

How to repair it: Replace your sponge every two to three weeks and in between, clean your sponge by damping it and micro-admit for at least two minutes. Or run your sponge through your dishwasher with a heated dry cycle, preferably every time you make dishes, says McManus.

"Make sure to rinse and spray the sponge before storing where it can dry between uses," says McManus. "Leaving pieces of food stuck on a hot and wet sponge is an invitation to bacteria to grow."

Now that you know these food security tips, you will be an expert in the kitchen. And for more food security advice,Here's when it's going to eat moldy food - and when it's not.


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