Some of the golden rules that must be followed for food hygiene are as follows:
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(1) Rule-1:
The food should be prepared safely and it should be eaten fresh as soon as it has been cooked.
(2) Rule-2:
Since the raw materials of food are contaminated with pathogens, it should be cooked thoroughly i.e., the temperature of all parts of the food reaches at least 70.C.
(3) Rule-3:
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The processed food should be considered instead of non processed food. For example, pasteurised fresh or frozen poultry food is selected instead of non-processed.
(4) Rule-4:
Foods prepared, if not served immediately, should be stored either in hot (or above 60.) or in cold (near or below 10.C). A common error, responsible for countless of food borne diseases, is putting too large a quantity of warm food in the refrigerator. Microbial proliferation, reaching disease producing proportions, will occur in the centre of food which remains at a high temperature for too long.
(5) Rule-5:
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Foods already cooked or stored, should be reheated thoroughly (reaching 70.C throughout) prior to eating-
(6) Rule-6:
The contact between raw foods and foods air prepared should be avoided to prevent food borne diseases.
(7) Rule-7:
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All kitchen surfaces and utensils should be perfectly cleaned that is, the utensils, plates, cutlery and spoons, after washing, should be wiped with a clean cloth which should not be used for more than one day. Separate clothes should be used for the clearing of the floor.
(8) Rule-8:
The hand should be perfectly washed before handling of food.
(9) Rule-9:
The food materials should be protected from rodents, insects and other animals in order to avoid infection due to pathogenic micro-organisms.
(10) Rule-10:
The water used for drinking and food preparation should be absolutely pure. If any doubt arises, slow release disinfectant tablets may be used to kill pathogenic-micro- organisms in water or filter attachments to domestic taps.
By following these rules, the risk of food borne illness can be reduced significantly.