Food Safety at Home

Have you ever had food poisoning? Chances are you have and thought it was the flu. Every year in Toronto, hundreds of people suffer from food poisoning and most cases occur from eating at home.

What is food poisoning?

Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is illness caused by eating and drinking contaminated food or water (this includes contaminated ice).

The most common causes of food poisoning are infectious organisms or their toxins. These organisms include bacteria, viruses and parasites.

Food poisoning organisms and their toxins do not change the way food looks, smells or tastes, but can cause any of the following symptoms:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Fever

The following are food handling practices that may lead to food poisoning:
1. Poor food handling hygiene, such as improper hand washing
2. Dirty utensils or work surfaces
3. Cross contamination of raw and ready-to-eat food
4. Improper cooking and reheating of food
5. Improper cooling of hazardous food
6. Improper defrosting of food

Prevention

Follow these four steps to make sure you’re handling all the food you eat safely and to prevent your family, friends and yourself from getting ill.

1. Clean

• Wash your hands, utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water before, during and after preparing food
• Wash your hands after using the washroom.
• Clean your countertops, cutting boards and utensils with a mild bleach and water solution
• Thoroughly wash all produce before you eat or cook it.

2. Separate

• Keep raw meats, poultry and fish away from other foods during storage and preparation.
• Keep separate cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables, or clean your cutting board before re-using.
• Always keep foods covered unless they are being prepared or served.

3. Cook

• Cook food thoroughly.
• Pay close attention to cooking times and temperatures for different meats because they vary.
• Prepare food quickly and serve it immediately. While preparing food do not keep raw meat and dairy at room temperature for more than two hours.

4. Chill

• Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within 2 hours.
• Use a thermometer to check to make sure your refrigerator is set at a temperature of 4°C (40°F).
• Keep your freezer at -18°C (0°F).

Food safety tips that can help keep you and your family prevent food poisoning:

At the store

When you’re grocery shopping, be careful to keep raw meat separate from other products in your shopping cart and bags. Pick out cold food last and always get perishable items into your fridge within 2 hours, especially when it’s warm outside. If you’re not going home right away, use a cooler with ice and a thermometer to make sure perishable food is kept at safe temperatures of less than 4C.

In the fridge:

• Store raw meat, poultry, fish eggs and dairy products in the fridge immediately after you return from the grocery store. Freeze raw poultry, fish or ground beef that won’t be used within one to two days. Freeze other meats within four to five days.
• Marinate meat in the refrigerator, not on the counter. If you want to save some of the marinade to baste cooked meat or use as a dipping sauce, make sure to set some aside that hasn’t touched uncooked meat.
• Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the fridge

Thawing your meat:

• Meat should be completely thawed before grilling so that it cooks evenly.
• Never defrost food on the kitchen counter. The outer layers of food will defrost before the inside thaws. Bacteria can grow in these conditions.
• Thawing should be done in the fridge, however sealed packages can be thawed under cold running water. Place the food on a lower fridge shelf in a container and allow 10 hours per kilogram thawing time.
• If you defrost in the microwave, place the food on the grill immediately after.

Source:
1 – http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=fb03ebfc2bb31410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
2 – http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/publichealth/foodsafety/whatis.aspx#3