Germ-free
kitchens
Nina Da' Costa comes up with some handy tips to prevent
contamination in food preparation areas
One of the gravest and life threatening
dangers in the kitchen largely
comprise of food borne illnesses.
Food borne diseases cause approximately 76
million illnesses globally and 325,000 illnesses
and 5,000 deaths a year in US alone,
according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. In India, where there seems
to be poor control over the rapidly flourishing
food preparation joints, figures would not be
appropriate because very few cases are
reported to public health officials.
Food borne illnesses are caused largely by
disease causing bacteria or by poisonous
toxins, which they produce. These bacteria
can quickly spread and find their way into
food via the food chain, that is from soil and
water - raw produce - kitchen surfaces - hands
of food handlers -
food handling
equipments - food
service utensils -
food served.
The top three
reasons for food
poisoning include
poor timetemperature
controls, cross
contamination and
poor personal
hygiene. Kitchens
are hotspots for such opportunistic microbes.
Moreover, during monsoons when diseases
and infections are rampant, one would opt to
be more careful on selecting the type of foods
to be consumed. Here are a few tips from our
experiences on preventing food borne illnesses
in commercial and household food
preparation areas and kitchens.
Food safety for commercial food
preparation areas
• Supplier safety assurance
While food safety starts with the supplier,
ensure that food materials and ingredients are
purchased only from reputed, known and
approved suppliers. Ensure checking of all
consignments as per specifications. Be
selective about certain seafood like prawns,
crabs, shellfish etc., which can harbour
infectious germs.
• Ensure safety conditions for water
Water is an essential component of the
human body and is consumed in its original
stage and as a food ingredient. It is also used
for washing foods and food contact surfaces.
Contamination of distribution water can be
rampant in rains due to leaking pipes and
contaminated water at source, which if not
adequately disinfected and treated, can
harbour infectious microbes. Water consumed
as a drink must be thoroughly filtered and
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