HOW TO HANDLE FOOD

TO prevent getting food-borne infection, we should be mindful of hygiene practices. These are some simple but effective ways to keep bad bugs at bay:

WHEN PREPARING FOOD:

• If you have an open wound on your hands and arms, avoid touching any food unless those wounded areas have been properly bandaged. Wear disposable gloves to be on the safe side.

• Use separate utensils, cutting boards and knives for raw meat, vegetables or cooked foods.

• Be careful when thawing meats. Make sure blood drippings do not come in contact with other food. When I thaw meat in the refrigerator, I always put them into a small plastic basin to catch any dripping that may leak out of the packaging or plastic bag. You just never know when the packaging may have a hole.

WHEN SHOPPING FOR FOOD:

• Always put raw meat in plastic bags to avoid the blood drippings from accidentally coming in contact with other food in the trolley, basket or shopping bag.

• Supermarkets usually have a sink for you to wash your hands near the meat/seafood section. If you have touched any of the raw meats or foods while you were selecting them, wash your hands with soap thoroughly.

• If you are at the wet market or night market/farmer’s market where there is no hand wash facility, carry a hand sanitiser with you to give your hands a good clean-up after touching the raw food.

STORING FOODS:

• When keeping food in the refrigerator, use proper containers so they are well-covered.

• Keep cooked food well-separated from raw ones in the refrigerator.

• Label your cooked foods so you know how long you have kept them in the refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, do not keep leftover cooked foods in the refrigerator for more than two days. This is because cooked food will rot over time.

• Check your pantry to ensure there are no packaged or canned foods that have gone past their expiry date. Discard the expired items.

• Canned foods that are bloated or dented may indicate microorganisms inside. Throw them out if you detect any.

WHEN COOKING:

• Always cook meat thoroughly to make sure microorganisms are destroyed.

• Reheat leftovers well before serving.

• Never leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours, as microorganisms will start to multiply rapidly in such temperatures.