- As part of the course work that our Culinary Arts students complete, food safety is a very important subject that is covered in a great amount of detail. No one wants their guests to become ill from food that his stored or prepared incorrectly. Here are some basic food safety principles that you can use at home.
What is food spoilage?
Simply put, food spoilage is the deterioration of the colour, texture, flavour and overall consistency of a fresh food product. Food that is spoiled can be harmful to people if they eat it and in some cases, it can cause food poisoning. The growth of microorganisms and enzymes can lead to the deterioration of the food. This can include moulds, yeasts, bacteria, oxidation, storage in too low a temperature, insect damage, physical damage (say through handling) and other types.
How do you know when your food is spoiled?
Usually (not always) spoiled food displays the following characteristics: colour changes, liquids can become cloudy, slime may occur, there is change in taste and smell. However, not all bad bacteria’s are obvious! Some bad bacteria’s called pathogens can cause food poisoning and these pathogens can be found in bacteria such as Salmonella or E. Coli. The scary part about them is that you cannot taste or see them.
It is also important to note that not all bacteria are harmful to foods and that not all spoiled food is in fact dangerous. Just because an apple has a bruise or has started changing colour, doesn’t mean that the apple is spoiled.
How can you prevent food spoilage?
That’s quite straight forward in principal – keep your cold food cold and your hot food hot! Bacteria grow and thrive at between 5 and 60 degrees Celsius. Don’t keep food out in this temperature ‘zone’ for more than an hour. So keep cold food below 5 degrees and keep hot food (say on a buffet) at around 65 degrees to be safe. To kill off bacteria totally, 74 degrees will do the trick. You can only reheat food once, after that, you must toss it out or risk getting food poisoning.
What is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning is an illness which occurs when food that contains harmful bacteria is digested. Food poisoning symptoms usually start from between 1 and 36 hours after contaminated food is consumed, and the illness can last a number of days. Symptoms of the illness include vomiting, stomach aches and pains, diarrhoea, cramps and fever.
What is the cause of food poisoning?
Food that is contaminated with bacteria or toxins are often to blame for food poisoning. Parasites, chemicals and viruses can also be to blame.
What happens if I get food poisoning?
Consult your doctor as soon as possible. You will require plenty of rehydration to restore lost fluids and electrolytes which may have disappeared from your body through vomiting or diarrhoea.
How can I prevent food poisoning?
- Start with personal hygiene. Wash your hands before and after you prepare food as well as before you eat food and after you have visited the toilet.
- Don’t pick up animal faeces without using gloves.
- Don’t cross-contaminate your chopping boards or utensils. Keep items separate and wash with an anti-bacterial soap after use in hot water. Dry properly before storing.
- Don’t drink water that isn’t clean. If you don’t know the source of the water, don’t drink it. It could contain harmful bacteria.
- Don’t refreeze thawed food.
- Don’t re-heat food more than once.
- Store your cold food below 5 degrees Celsius and hot food above 65 degrees Celsius.
- Wash your fruit and vegetables thoroughly before you eat or store them.
- Don’t eat expired foods or foods from cans that have huge dents in them or are bulging at the seams.
- Cook your food correctly and at the correct temperature. Bacteria are killed above 74 degrees Celsius.
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Food spoilage and food poisoning – what you need to know
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