Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Buying groceries safely
• Method 2 of 4: Safe Temperature Regimes
• Method 3 of 4: Keep Your Workplace Clean
• Method 4 of 4: Avoid Contamination
• Tips

The biggest nuisance that can happen during a dinner party is when your guests are forced to crowd around the toilet. This article provides some helpful tips to help you avoid the hassle of tainted food.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Buying groceries safely

1. 1 Don't buy canned food in dirty cans. When shopping, avoid leaking, bulging, or wrinkled cans. The covers must be tightly closed. Do not buy jars on which the button is already broken.
2. 2 Don't buy hot dogs if they feel stale.
3. 3 Know how to choose the right frozen food. Frozen food must be perfectly firm. Frozen food should be free of ice and snow crystals, as this is a sign that the food has been defrosted and then re-frozen.
4. 4 Choose the right chicken. Chicken spoils quickly if stored improperly. Be especially careful when choosing chicken meat.
   • Choose chicken meat already at the final stage. The longer the chicken is in the basket, the more likely it is to spoil.
   • Choose wrapped bags that are free of holes or damage. The bag should be cold and firm if you squeeze the bag lightly.
   • Sniff the chicken. If it smells bad, don't buy it.
   • Check the implementation timeline. Remember that the shelf life is different from the expiration date; try to use the chicken within two days of selling it.
5. 5 Choose the right turkey. As with chicken meat, turkey meat can go bad quickly.So choose the meat at the end of your shopping trip so the turkey doesn't go bad.
   • When choosing wrapped turkey meat, look for a bag that is free of holes or damage. The bag should be cold and firm if you squeeze the bag lightly.
   • Select the turkey that is on the bottom of the rack. The meat that is usually at the top is not sufficiently cooled to ensure a safe meal.

Method 2 of 4: Safe Temperature Regimes

1. 1 Check the temperature. Remember that the temperature of hot food must be above 60 ˚C for food stored in the refrigerator - 2 ˚ C to -5 C and food in the freezer - must be below 7 ˚ C.
2. 2 Do not leave hot food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. This includes cooking times as well. If food has been at room temperature for longer than the specified time, either reheat or refrigerate the food to reduce the possibility of contamination.
   • Always cook poultry, meat, fish, or seafood entirely. Some housewives make a gross mistake: having partially cooked the fish, they postpone the cooking process in order to finish it later (despite the fact that the hostess cooled the food). This can actually lead to the growth of bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.
3. 3 Chill food before placing it in the refrigerator. This also includes leftover restaurant meals. Place leftover food in small containers to cool faster.
   • When placing warm food in the refrigerator, if possible, turn on the cooler setting. Return to original temperature after about 8 hours.
   • The temperature for reheating food is at least 75 ˚ C. Use a lid to retain moisture and heat food evenly. All sauces should be brought to a boil.
4. 4 Defrost food in the microwave or refrigerator. Never defrost food at room temperature. Cook immediately after defrosting.
   • If you defrost food in the refrigerator, it will take 5 hours to defrost 0.5 kg of frozen food. If microwaved, follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
5. 5 Store food in the appropriate compartments of the refrigerator. Different compartments of the refrigerator have different temperatures, so it is very important to know what and where to store it correctly.
   • Store eggs in a box on a shelf in the refrigerator. Do not store them in the refrigerator door, as this compartment is not cold enough to spoil the eggs.
   • Store chicken meat in the meat compartment. Find the coldest spot in the refrigerator and store the chicken there. Alternatively, you can freeze the chicken.
   • Store the turkey in the coldest part of the refrigerator. If possible, store it in the tray to prevent the liquid from spilling onto other foods.

Method 3 of 4: Keep Your Workplace Clean

1. 1 Wash your hands. While this may seem like trivial advice, it is important to wash your hands before and after processing food. This is especially important when working with raw meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or eggs.
2. 2 Prepare a solution of hot, soapy water. Wash all utensils and surfaces immediately after contact with raw meat, poultry, fish or seafood.
3. 3 Wash dirty sponges and rags. You can wash your rags in the washing machine. Soak rags in a solution of 3/4 cup chlorine bleach and 3.7 liters of water.

Method 4 of 4: Avoid Contamination

1. 1 Shop smartly. In your grocery basket, keep raw poultry, meat, fish, or seafood as far away from other foods as possible.
2. 2 Defrost raw poultry, meat, fish, and seafood in the large pan. The tray must be large enough to allow any liquid that will drain from the defrosting process to fit into the tray. This will keep other food in the refrigerator dry and clean.
   • For added safety, place the tray on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator when defrosting.
3. 3 Use different cutting boards. Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry / meat / fish / seafood.
   • Glass or plastic cutting boards are best for cutting foods that can lead to contamination. Wood planks are more porous, which means that food particles can easily enter the cracks.
   • Use disposable raw poultry / meat / fish / seafood chopping boards to protect your cutting board from contamination.
4. 4 Wash your cutting boards thoroughly. Immediately after use, wash the cutting board in hot soapy water or place it in the dishwasher. You can also treat the board with a solution made from 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach to 1 liter of water. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
5. 5 Use the filling at the very last moment. The filling must be used just before cooking. The less contact of the filling with raw meat, the less likely it is to be contaminated with bacteria.
6. 6 Discard any remaining marinade that has come into contact with raw poultry / meat / fish / seafood. If you want to serve this as a sauce, bring to a boil. Boil before serving.
7. 7 Keep your plates clean. Never place cooked food on a plate that has been used for raw poultry, meat, fish, or seafood unless the plate has been thoroughly washed.

Tips

• Close the plastic containers in which you store raw food tightly to prevent mixing of odors.
• Minced meat (e.g. meatloaf) must be cooked until the temperature in the middle of the thickest part reaches 70 ˚C
• Even though the hot dogs are already cooked, be sure to reheat them before eating.