10 worst food errors you do, according to the CDC
A bad manipulation of food in your kitchen can result in food poisoning.
Although you rarely think of your kitchen as a playground for germs and dangerous food diseases, there are common food security errors that can do so. Bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella and botulism toxins may appear anywhere, at any time, even when there is not a known outbreak. That's why it's very important to always practice good hygiene in the kitchen and create habits for handling, cooking and food storage safely. Here are ten most dangerous food security mistakes that can hurt you and your family, according to disease control and prevention centers (CDC). In addition to avoiding them, make sure you clean themost managed parts of your kitchen regularly.
Do not wash your hands
Washing your hands is the number one gold rule of food security and good hygiene in general. Your hands move potentially contaminated surfaces to your face and mouth thousands of times a day, you sneeze, touch the others and prepare food. All with the same pair of hands! The potential for cross-contamination is enormous, which is why it is essential to keep your hands clean by washing them regularly with soap and water. Here are the most critical moments when hands need to be washed while you're in the kitchen:
- Before, during and after the preparation of the food
- Before eating food
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
- After touching an animal
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching garbage
Make sure you wash your hands properly: Wet them, sake them with soap, rub for at least 20 seconds, then rinse and dry them with a clean single-use towel. Read the otherHandwashing errors that can help germs to propagate.
Wash raw meat or eggs
Let's put it at rest once and for all. If you encounter debate with your family members about if you should wash the raw meat, the answer is no, no, no. The same goes for eggs. Although you can think that you do the right thing by washing these foods subject to germ, you actually help spread these germs on your sink and counters. The best way to kill food germs is to prepare your food properly.
Related:That's why you should never rinse the raw chicken
Do not wash fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables, however, you will definitely want to wash, even if it's something you stretch. The germs on the skin of fruits and vegetables can contaminate the parts you actually eat, then rinse under running water is a must. It is also good to have a designated vegetable brush at your fingertips, which you can use to brush fruits and vegetables such as melons or lawyer.
Using the same plate for raw meat and cooked
Please never reuse the plate or bowl where you maintained raw meat during the same cooking session. All that raw meat has touched should be washed with dish soap immediately, and it also goes for cutting boards. It may seem like a good idea to use fewer dishes when cooking, so you do not have a lot of cleaning to do on a full belly, but it's not where raw meat germs certainly will contaminate The cooked meat that you are about to eat. Same thing for fish and crustaceans, too.
Related:Your ultimate survival guide and supermarket is here!
Do not cook meat, seafood or carefully eggs
The best way to kill germs on your food consists of cooking thoroughly, and the temperature must be high enough to do the job. Use a food thermometer to make sure you have reached the following internal temperatures that will prevent germs propagation:
- 145 ° F For whole sections of beef, pork, veal and lamb
- 160 ° F for ground meat, such as beef and pork
- 165 ° F for all poultry, including floor and Turkey chicken
- 165 ° F For remains and pans
- 145 ° F for raw ham
- 145 ° F for seafood, or cook until the flesh is opaque
Here's how to say whenEach type of meat is cooked properly and done.
Eating raw or uncooked foods that contain eggs or flour
We look at you, cookie dough lovers. Flour and uncooked eggs may contain a range of harmful germs, the best-known E. coli. Our side dessert preferences, the best way to prevent food poisoning is to avoid the following high-risk foods: flowing or insufficient eggs, Mayo House, a homemade Dutch sauce, a homemade Dutch sauce, a chicken dough, House and a non-cooked paste at a time. This is particularly important for those who are immunocomized - why are chances?
Food tasting to see if it's bad
If you have suspicion, something in your fridge has become bad, tasting it to ensure a bad idea. First of all, you will rarely be able to taste or feel the germs that can be present on the food. Second, if you think a small piece of avarished food can not possibly cause a lot of harm, you are wrong. You can be seriously ill of a very small amount of spoiled food. Get our tips on how tostore the food properly so that it does not go wrong. And here is a list ofFoods that do not need refrigeration.
Thaw or marinate meat on the counter
The CDC warns that harmful germs can multiply quickly at room temperature, so it is advisable not to thaw the meat on your kitchen counter. The safest ways to thaw food are in the refrigerator, in cold water or microwave. The same go with marinades - always keep your meat marinating in the refrigerator instead of the ambient temperature. Get our tips on how tothaw safely from chicken.
Leaving food too long before storing
The germs will proliferate in cooked foods that are left out at ambient temperatures for more than two hours and, if it is greater than 90 degrees, Fahrenheit, one hour. So if you have remnants, good manipulation and fast storage are important. Something cooked meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, rice and cut fruit should be placed in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking or cutting. Divide the food into shallow containers and refrigerate. However, do not forget to leave all hot food down at room temperature before refrigerating. Make sure to avoidOther errors that can ruin your remains.
Eat risky foods if you are immunocompute
Sometimes your better bet is to stay away from "risky" foods if you want to make a minimum your chances of poisoning food. Foods such as raw milk and eggs and products manufactured with them, fish and crustaceans are common guilty of most cases of food poisoning in the United States. This is especially true for those with lower immune systems such as adults over 65, children under 5 and others with any type of immunocompromised state (such as cancer or diabetes) . These groups are less able to combat food germs and are more likely to have food poisoning if they ingest impure foods.
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