SANITATION IN THE KITCHEN

Table of contents
Chapter 1: Importance of hand washing
Chapter 2: Cooking
meat thoroughly
Chapter 3: Cross-contamination

Importance of hand washing in the kitchen

-Hand washing is vital in preventing contamination of food by food handlers. Harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus and viruses (e.g. norovirus) present on the hands of food workers are removed by proper hand washing techniques.

Hands should be washed for at least 10-15 seconds as follows:
• Wet hands under warm running water
• Use enough soap to form a good lather
• Rub all parts of hands with soap and water
• Lather for at least 10-15 seconds, vigorously and thoroughly rubbing all hand surfaces, including the fingertips and thumbs
• Rinse hands thoroughly with running water
• Dry hands thoroughly

Cooking meat thoroughly

-If meat is treated incorrectly during cooking it may be potentially dangerous and cause a whole range of different diseases and ailments for the guests, including things like sickness and diarrhoea, bacterial infections, worms, stomach bugs and up-sets, nausea, headaches and even death. Because of the potential dangers associated with eating meat, it is important that meat is correctly dealt with.

Cross Contamination

-Never put cooked meat on the same plate that you have recently had raw meat sitting in. This example of cross contamination is very dangerous and can cause infection of a food borne illness. To prevent it from happening make sure to use clean plates and knives when handling cooked food.

RESOURCES

• http://www.fsai.ie/faqs/hand_washing.html

"Sanitation in the kitchen" was created to educate people on some rules of sanitation to ensure the prevention of catching a food borne illness and to ensure the safety of the masses. (: