A Guide To Proper Kitchen Hygiene A Guide to Proper Hygiene | Page 10

listeria, campylobacter or E. coli. Symptoms range in severity can take up to a few hours to rear
their ugly heads and may last several days.
Common signs include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, headaches and fever. In severe
cases, food poisoning can result in death. While food safety is of utmost importance in any
business that deals with food preparation, it’s also essential to handle meals safely at home.
Remember, children (especially under five), pregnant women and the elderly are much more
vulnerable and prone to contaminated food or foodborne illness. Keep foods at the correct
temperature to delay the growth of harmful bacteria. Cold food must be kept at or below 5C
and hot food must be maintained above 60C. Use the thermometer in your fridge to regularly
check the temperature. The standard in Australian fridges is to have a fresh food compartment
average temperature of 3C. It’s a good number because it means not freezing those chicken
drumsticks or lamb shanks. Check hot foods, especially those that are reheated, using a spike
thermometer, making sure the centre of the food is above 60C. Stir liquids, such as soups or
casseroles, thoroughly before testing to ensure an even temp throughout. Food safety takes
into account not only hazardous foods, but also food preparation, storage and reheating as well
as personal hygiene.
6.0.1 Here’s your guide to staying on the right side of food.
Food poisoning can be caused by
• Not cooking the food thoroughly enough to destroy harmful bacteria that rapidly grows in the
food over time