Hygiene has become the catch word, with almost all the people today being conscious about what they are eating and where they are eating from. However, even if you are putting in your 100 percent efforts, you may still end up having food which has bacteria. Foods are very vulnerable and can get contaminated with bacteria at any stage. Salmonella bacteria are amongst the most frequently diagnosed source of illness in food. If not prevented in time, they can cause great damage. Read on to find methods for preventing salmonella poisoning in your food.
How to Prevent Salmonella
- You must be well informed of the temperatures to store particular food. Store them at perfect temperatures till the time you are ready to cook them or serve them. For example, hot foods such as soup must remain at a temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold foods must stay below 40 degrees.
- Believe in cleanliness. Wash your hands, utensils and cooking surfaces before you are handling food. Use paper towels and avoid using sponges. Be careful not only before cooking food, but also during and after cooking. Make sure that you do not have dirt lingering around you.
- Be particular when you are handling food items. You may cross contaminate them. When you have used a particular utensil for raw meat fish or egg, take caution that not to use it again. This way, you can avoid contaminating other food items as well.
- The same rule, as above, applies to cutting boards and edges as well. Do not use the cutting edge that you have used for cutting meat or fish, for cutting other food items.
- Melt meats in the refrigerator. Leaving a frozen brick of ground beef in your sink is convenient, but it's too easy to forget about it and leave it setting beyond a safe temperature.
- Go for egg-less dishes when packing a picnic lunch. While some yummy dishes might tempt you the other way around, remind yourself that health comes first. Vinegar-based salads are a much safer route.
