Keeping Food Safe



Protect yourself with these seven tips for keeping food safe

More and more, the joys of dining and cooking are diminished by the constraints of food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances, not to mention news stories about serious food-borne illnesses. Whether or not you have allergies or intolerances, adopting a few good habits when you shop for food, prepare meals and snacks or dine out can go a long way in ensuring that the foods you eat will be pleasurable and nourishing, rather than a source of worry or potential illness.
 

1. Read labels
Manufacturers of all foods are required to name every ingredient which contains or is derived from one of the eight major allergens; milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and soy, in plain English rather than in chemical terminology. This means you no longer have to memorize a list of milk proteins or soy products. You can expect to see the name of the allergen in either of two places on food labels; in parentheses after the ingredient, for example; ‘casein (milk)’, or immediately following the list of ingredients, for example; ‘contains milk.’

However, the laws don’t apply to cross-contamination during manufacturing. To cover this contingency, you may see statements like ‘may contain milk’ or ‘produced in a facility which also processes milk.’ Until the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) standards are established, you cannot take ‘gluten-free’ claims at face value either. It’s wise to print out a list of ingredients, which contain gluten to match against food labels, if you have allergic to gluten (celiac).
 

2. Divide and conquer
It’s almost imperative to have two sets of cooking and serving implements if a person in your household has a food allergy or celiac disease, unless the rest of you are following the same non-allergenic or gluten-free diets. Keeping the food preparation for each group separate is the best way to avoid cross-contamination. You should also take care to store any allergenic or gluten-containing foods well away from the food reserved for the person who is living with food allergy or celiac disease. Be aware that pet food often contains Salmonella, which may not worry our furry friends, but may mean misery for members of your family, especially infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. So, take precautions to avoid cross-contamination with pet foods and food for humans.

 

3. Control the temperature
Although appliance manufacturers claim the temperature settings on refrigerators are accurate, refrigerator thermometers provide added insurance. There is a fairly narrow window in which foods can be safely chilled but not frozen. Bacteria are in a state of suspended animation at 0°C, but by the time the temperature climbs to 5°C they are coming alive, and at 15°C they’re growing rapidly.
In cooking, it’s not the oven temperature but the reading at the centre of the food that is crucial. At 60°C many bacteria die, but it takes a temperature of 74°C to ensure they are eliminated entirely. Using a food thermometer to measure the temperature of cooked food is the only sure way to know your roast turkey has passed the danger zone.

 

4. Wash up
The common-sense habit of washing your hands before eating and after going to the bathroom is as sound as ever, and in the current climate of COVID-19 even more important than ever. It is also a good practice after you walk the dog, clean the cat box, weed the garden, blow your nose, take out the garbage, change nappies, care for a sick person, come in from the shops or engage in any other activity that increases your exposure to bacteria and viruses. 

Remember, washing isn’t just a cursory pass under a running water tap. Washing should consist of a vigorous rub with soap and water that includes wrists, palms and backs of the hands, the fingers, the skin between them and the skin under the nails. This exercise, performed correctly, should take at least 20 seconds. If you don’t have access to soap and water, a hand santitizer is good substitute.
 

5. Treat alcohol as a food
Not that you should pour beer on your breakfast cereal, but it’s good to be aware that alcoholic beverages share many of the properties of food, including those that trigger illness. For example; alcoholic beverages contain histamines and beer and wine have naturally occurring sulphites, which can trigger allergic-like reactions in people who are sensitive to those substances. Rye whiskies contain gluten and most beers contain both gluten and wheat, so these can produce more than a hangover in people with wheat allergy, celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Alcohol also makes the intestine more permeable, which amplifies the effects of food sensitivity.

 

6. Don’t be shy
If you have a food allergy or sensitivity and are dining out, don’t hesitate to question restaurant staff about ingredients or even kitchen practices. If you are having dinner at the home of a friend or acquaintance, let the host know there are certain foods you can’t consume. Most cooks would rather have that information before planning the menu than discover it when they are about to serve a prized dish that a guest cannot eat. Don’t forget to inquire about all ingredients (for example; non-nut foods which may be prepared with peanut oil, if you have nut allergies).

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