4C’s of Food Safety: Cross-Contamination, Cleaning, Cooking and Chilling

Studies have shown that over 50% of peoplejudgea food item, if itis safe for consumption, merely by its appearance and/or smell. But, did you know illness causing food bugs like E. Coli and salmonelladonot always make food smell ‘off’? As a matter of fact,most of the time they do not even affect the appearance of the food.This could be the result of lack of hygiene orfrom germs in foods like meat, poultry, eggs, fish and seafood as well as raw fruit and raw vegetables.

Across the food industry, all food handling and processing companies have always placed great emphasis on food safetyand food hygiene. Contamination in the food items can have a cascading effect, resulting in food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses which may in turn cause irreparable damage to the business, hampering its goodwill.

Poor hygiene, while preparing or serving food, can easily be avoided. The 4Cs of Food Safety is a standard practice defined by food safety organisations around the world. Following these four simple rules, food handlers can ensure that the food that is prepared or served is safe for consumption.

Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination takes place when raw food is not handled properly, leaving the bacteria to multiply and spread throughout the kitchen, thereby leading to food poisoning. Maintaining the highest degree of personal hygiene is imperative to food handlers. Practicing good process hygiene and personal hygiene can help greatly reduce the chances of cross-contamination.

For this, raw meat should be washed separately and juices from such foods should be stopped from getting mixed with other ready-to-eat food items, fruits, and/or vegetables. Even the chopping board used for raw meat should be a separate one. In addition to this, washing hands, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water has proven to be effective in preventing cross-contamination.

Cleaning

Do you know what is the first vital step towards safe handling of food?
Washing hands before preparing food! Simple, right?

But, as per studies, very often people forget to follow this simple yet extremely important step, giving way to food-borneillnesses. Handwashing with soap for a duration of 20 seconds is ideal and must be followed diligently every time. Subsequent to this, a paper towel or a clean cloth must be used to dry hands.

In addition, surfaces often prove to be the breeding ground for germs. Surfaces frequently used in food preparation must be cleaned every time before and after food is prepared. Also, sanitizers, disinfectants, and/or anti-bacterial cleaners should be used discriminate in order to prevent bacteria from thriving.

Raw vegetables and fruits must be rinsed in water to clean surface dirt, and food storage areas should be regularly cleaned with hot soapy water.

Cooking

For effective handling of food, food handlers should ensure that food is cooked properly at a high temperature. It must be cooked well for a long time such that steam comes out of it. Following the instructions relating to temperature and cooking times for different foods can prevent them from lethal germs.

It should be noted that the ideal temperature for re-heating food is 74°C or 165°F, but food handlers should refrain from re-heating more than once.

Chilling

Keeping food chilled at the right temperature in the fridge stops the growth of germs. For businesses that require the foods to be chilled, the fridge temperature is set to below 5°C to prevent harmful germs from growing and multiplying. Perishables and prepared food should be refrigerated within 2 hours.

Many people believe in the myth that food should be cooled before putting it in the fridge, but the fact is prompt refrigeration keeps food safer.

Having been a part of the Food Industry since the last 123 years, we value the importance of having a strong Food Safety Management System (FSMS) which is fundamental to establishing a strong and reliable brand.

At A. Tosh & Sons, we ensure the highest standards of Food Safety & Hygiene by implementing a holistic and systematic approach.

Read more about Uncompromised Food Safety & Hygiene at A. Tosh & Sons.