FOOD HANDLING AND PREPARATION
We face two major sanitation problems when handling and preparing food. The first is cross-contamination.
The second problem is that, while we are working on it, foods is usually at a temperature between 41oF and 135oF (5o c to 57o c), or in the food danger zone. The lag phase of bacteria growth helps us a little bit, to be safe, we must keep foods out of danger zone whenever possible.
1. Start with clean, wholesome foods from reputable purveyors. Whenever applicable, buy government-inspected meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and egg products.
The second problem is that, while we are working on it, foods is usually at a temperature between 41oF and 135oF (5o c to 57o c), or in the food danger zone. The lag phase of bacteria growth helps us a little bit, to be safe, we must keep foods out of danger zone whenever possible.
1. Start with clean, wholesome foods from reputable purveyors. Whenever applicable, buy government-inspected meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and egg products.
2. Handle foods as little as possible. Use tongs, spatulas, or other utensils instead of
hands when practical.
3. Use clean, sanitized equipment and worktables.
3. Use clean, sanitized equipment and worktables.
4. Clean and sanitized cutting surface and equipment after handling raw poultry, meat,
fish, or eggs, and before working on another food.
5. Place only food item containers, toolboxes, or recipe books, for example, on cutting
5. Place only food item containers, toolboxes, or recipe books, for example, on cutting
boards, as the bottoms of these items are not likely to be sanitary.
6. Clean as u go. Don’t until the end of the workday. Keep clean clothes and sanitizing
solution handy at your workstation and use them often.
7. Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
7. Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
8. When bringing foods out of refrigeration, do not bring out more than you can
process in one hour.
9. Keep food covered unless in immediate use.
9. Keep food covered unless in immediate use.
10. Limit the time that foods spend in the food danger zone. Observe the four-hour rule.
11. Cook foods to minimum internal cooking temperatures.
12. Taste foods properly. With a ladle or other serving implement, transfer a small
amount of the food to a small dish. Then tested this sample using a clean spoon.
After testing, don’t use either the dish or the spoon again. Send them to the washing
station or, if using disposable, discard them.
13. Boil leftover gravies, sauces, soups, and vegetables before serving.
14. Don’t mix leftovers with freshly prepared foods.
15. Chill all ingredients for protein salads and potato salads before combining them.
16. Cool and chill food quickly and correctly, as explained in the following section. Chill
custard, cream fillings, and other hazardous food as quickly as possible by pouring
them into shallow, sanitized pans, covering them, refrigerating. Don’t stack the
pans.
The chef was her own miracle. She saw a brilliance in food, a potential to help and heal others, a way to show them how the sublime was simply a mixture of the ordinary. It was her genius at play, seeing what the rest of us didn't. I guess that's why we called it her culinary magic and joked that her spoon was a wand carved from the spirit tree. Either way, she made us all so happy, food does that, right? It feeds the soul, brings smiles and bonds, makes everything so much better
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