10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning – Food
10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning
Terry Nicholls
Do you realize the many ways that bacteria can contaminate the food YOUR FAMILY eats Do you know how to tell if your food is THOROUGHLY cooked to keep YOUR family safe from Food Poisoning Do you know what to do if you or SOMEONE YOU LOVE gets Food Poisoning
When it comes to food preparation and storage, "Common Practices" could be POISONING your family!
Heres how to avoid the problem entirely:
1. Plan For Safety
Make sure you have the right equipment, including cutting boards, utensils, food thermometers, cookware, shallow containers for storage, soap, and paper towels. Make sure you have a source of clean water. Plan ahead to ensure that there will be adequate storage space in the refrigerator and freezer.
2. Shop Smart
Prevention of food poisoning starts with your trip to the supermarket. Pick up your packaged and canned foods first. Buy cans and jars that look perfect. Do the cans have dents Dont buy canned goods that are dented, cracked, or bulging. These are the warning signs that dangerous bacteria may be growing in the can. Are the jars cracked Do they have lids that are loose or bulging The food may have germs that can make you sick. Look for any expiration dates on the labels and never buy outdated food. Likewise, check the "use by" or "sell by" date on dairy products such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, and sour cream and pick the ones that will stay fresh longest in your refrigerator.
3. Store Food Properly
After shopping, get home as soon as you can. Then put food into the refrigerator or freezer right away. Make sure to set the refrigerator temperature to 40
10 Convenient Ways To Eliminate Food Poisoning With Your Microwave – Food
10 Convenient Ways To Eliminate Food Poisoning With Your Microwave
Terry Nicholls
Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but special care must be taken when cooking or reheating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs to make sure they are prepared safely. Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave "cold spots," where harmful bacteria can survive. For this reason, it is important to use the following safe microwaving tips to prevent food-borne illness.
Microwave Cooking
1. Arrange food items evenly in a covered dish and add some liquid if needed. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap; loosen or vent the lid or wrap to let steam escape.
2. Large cuts of meat should be cooked on medium power 50% for longer periods. This allows heat to reach the center without overcooking outer areas.
3. Stir or rotate food midway through the microwaving time to eliminate cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive.
Microwave Defrosting
4. Remove food from packaging before defrosting. Do not use foam trays and plastic wraps because they are not heat stable at high temperatures.
5. Cook meat, poultry, egg casseroles, and fish immediately after defrosting in the microwave oven because some areas of the frozen food may begin to cook during the defrosting time.
Reheating In The Microwave
6. Cover foods with a lid or a microwave-safe plastic wrap to hold in moisture and provide safe, even heating.
7. After reheating foods in the microwave oven, allow standing time. Then, use a clean food thermometer to check that food has reached 165