Kitchen hygiene PROPER KITCHEN HYGIENE IS ESSENTIAL WHEN COOKING
Good kitchen hygiene is important to avoid health hazards from the food you prepare. This applies to private homes and industries alike. Good hygiene in private homes ·· H eat food properly (to temperatures of at least 75 °C) ·· Dishes containing eggs should always be heated to at least 75 °C. However, this does not apply to eggs served individually, for example soft-boiled eggs and pasteurized eggs. For dishes that do not reach a minimum temperature of 75 °C you should use pasteurized eggs. Cool the food Hot food should be cooled down quickly. The food should be cooled so that the temperature drops from 65 °C to 10 °C in less than three hours. If the cooling happens too slowly, pathogenic bacteria may start growing in the food. A single bacteria can turn into more than 1,000 in just three hours. To cool food down quickly, it is often necessary to divide large portions – such as stocks, sauces and meat dishes – into smaller portions. Always place the food to cool down immediately after it has stopped steaming. You may need
38 | Kitchen hygiene
to take active steps to cool larger portions of food. This can be done with a bain marie, a fan or cooling cabinet. Good hygiene in food businesses When food is stored in a fridge or cold room, the cold inhibits bacterial growth in the food. The temperature of cold rooms should be in accordance with the applicable laws and/or the relevant temperatures stated on food labelling. This means 5 °C as a starting point. Freezers must be -18 °C or lower. You should check that these temperatures are maintained at all times; this reduces the risk of growth of pathogenic bacteria in the food. Keep track of goods in cold and freezer rooms Always ensure good air circulation in cold rooms and be careful not to overcrowd the space. Food should be placed so that raw foods do not come into contact with ready-to-eat food. It may be necessary to use separate cold rooms for different types of food. Tips for avoiding infection: Food can become contaminated with bacteria through direct or indirect contact.
Contamination can spread: ·· f rom raw food material to raw food material ·· f rom raw food material and ready-to-eat food ·· via kitchen utensils and hands The spread of bacteria between raw food materials Bacteria can be spread by direct contact, for example when vegetables are contaminated with soil and soil bacteria. During the slaughter process meat can come into direct contact with the faeces of the animals’ intestinal tract and be contaminated with bacteria. Bacteria can also spread between different raw food materials. Meat, for example, can become contaminated with soil bacteria if it comes into direct contact with vegetables that have soil attached to them. Vegetables can become contaminated with intestinal bacteria from meat. The spread of bacteria from raw to ready-to-eat food Bacterial contamination may occur if raw and ready-to-eat dishes are not kept separate. If ready-to-eat cooked dishes, which are often cooked and