Your home is the safest place on Earth for you. Indeed, there is no place like home. In it, you are most secure, most defended and most loved. The place you belong to, where you can be the most raw and most comfortable version of yourself, is your home. It’s your safe haven.
In a literal sense, safety must also be guaranteed in the food you eat at home. Many people prefer eating food home-cooked by their parents or by themselves because they can be certain that it’s trustworthy. While food from outside is scrumptious and visually appealing, food crafted from home has a distinct charm and an assurance of healthiness. That is probably one of the major reasons why it is recommended that ordering food from restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, should be done in moderation and not daily.
Nevertheless, people should also take note that safety of food cooked at home is not always nailed-on because it completely depends on the cooking practices of family members who are in charge of cooking at home. Some may think that they are already doing the right thing when their family members love the food they prepare, however, they might overlook the importance of food safety. Similarly, some might be more focused on the physical appearance of the food they serve, but the nutritional content and the level of safety are at risk.
If you are living alone or if you are the one who cooks for your family, always keep in mind that the best food you can cook embraces satisfying taste, decent visuals and healthful safety. Here are 7 crucial ways to ensure food safety at home.
1 – Cook with quality ingredients.
To create quality food, use quality ingredients. When ingredients are of excellent attributes and features, they are reputable and sought-after. They are famous among households because of their impressive performance in making great food happen. That is true not only in terms of taste but also in terms of nutrition.
Always select cooking ingredients with top-notch quality. They do not always have to be expensive because there also are budget-friendly options in the market. You can acquire prime and reliable ingredients that will help you bring the best dishes to your home’s table. fsf t
Although the final result of your cooking process depends on how you cook, using superior-quality particulars already give you an edge, a strong headway. You will not have to worry at all about food safety.
2 – Cook with the right temperatures.
Cooking with the right temperatures is essential for food safety. This not only heightens the savor of your food but also prevents you and your loved ones from eating uncooked or undercooked food, which may lead to a stomach upset or nausea. You must see to it that you set the correct, necessary temperature for the dish you are cooking. It eliminates bacteria from the rawness of your food, so it really is not to be taken lightly.
3 – Clean cooking and eating apparatuses before and after use.
You use various sorts of cookware, bakeware, kitchen utensils, kitchen appliances, cooking apparatuses and many more. They aid you in performing kitchen work quickly, conveniently and efficiently. With their help, you can cook exceptional dishes that regular kitchen tools cannot allow. Surely, these objects are frequently used, even more so because meals happen everyday at home.
With that being said, never skip scanning the surfaces of your kitchenware first before using them. Rub your fingers over the cooking plane of your frying pan and casserole. See to it that they are not dusty or oily before putting ingredients on them. They must be squeaky-clean before letting food components get into contact with them.
The same thing is a must for eating instruments. People directly use them, put utensils into their mouths, and don’t really think about their cleanliness. Even if they don’t really care, you should care. Food safety is expensive, yet it can be observed for free!
Similarly, after use, thoroughly clean everything you used in cooking or baking. Dry them completely. Do not store them yet in their closed containers if they are still wet because bacteria may build up. Wash them well, so they will be ready for the next cooking or baking session.
4 – Wash hands before handling food.
Sanitation is not to be forgotten. Healthy food’s quality can decline if it gets dirty. Start from yourself. Wash hands before handling food. Before getting the job started, ensure that you are tidy. Your hands, which are used for holding, mixing, peeling, mashing and basically everything, are the priority. With clean water and soap, wash hands, and rinse them fully.
Cleanliness is a chief element of food safety.
5 – Read product labels for food content.
It will not take you hours to read your bread flour’s label. Do not be lazy if it’s for something necessary. Well, you do not have to read everything and pretend like you know what each baking ingredient is. You can just go over the most important details, such as its core components and possible allergens.
Reading product labels is not a waste of time. You do that to identify the food content of the food product in your hand. In that way, you can stay away from possibly allergy-triggering elements and from unhealthy additives, if any.
6 – Check expiration dates.
Aside from the nutritional content of your market-bought raw food, cooked food or snacks stored at home, the expiration date should be paid attention to. It actually is the next thing to check after looking at the packaging of a food product.
Food safety includes not eating expired or spoiled food. Accidentally or not, eating food that is past its best-before date can lead to vomiting, sickness and/or food poisoning.
7 – Separate the preparation spaces for raw food and cooked food.
In the kitchen, you should designate specific areas for specific purposes. Pressingly, raw and cooked must not be put in the exact same space. Separate the preparation zones for raw food and cooked food. This should not be missed because contamination is no joke. It can lead to bacteria spread and food poisoning.
Value food safety from the moment you buy your ingredients from the market to the moment they are already actual food on your plates.
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FROM HOME, FOR YOUR HOME
Together with your loved ones at home, enjoy meals that are tasty, pretty, healthy and danger-free! Food safety is the number one priority because everything else will be useless without it. See to it that every meal you plate up for the family not only drives them to be happy but also makes them healthy. Delight the whole team with food made with love – made from home, made for your home.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Ann Pore is a writer, an events host and a voice over artist. Quality and well-researched writing is her worthwhile avenue to enlighten and delight others about things that matter. She is a daytime writer for Mauri Baking Supplies Australia, a chief supplier of bakery ingredient solutions all over New Zealand and Australia. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University Manila, Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.
