Sunday, January 2, 2011

Food Safety for Gatherings

One of the most important things that need to be present in the food that we serve during gatherings of the family and even friends is the taste of the food. Of course, it has to be perfect and delicious. But, some may overlook or not really think about the importance of the safety of the food that we serve.
Being mindful of the food and how it is prepared will allow you to be confident, not only about the taste of the food, but also the welfare of those who will eat it. Here are a few of the most famous tips in cooking food for large crowds.
Start by considering the number of people whom you are going to cook for. This will help you in cooking the right amount of food, it will also help make sure that you are on the right track. If your estimates were wrong, you will only end up cooking haphazardly and it results can be costly.
If there are chemicals available in your home, if you are keeping them away from your kids, the more that you should keep them away from your kitchen. Make sure that you label all toxic chemicals with obvious tags so that the user can be instantly warned.
Storing these things under the sink may be convenient, the best place to keep them would be in hard to reach places for the kids and those that will be away from where you cook. The garage or the stock room can be alternative storage areas.
Another common safety concern in the kitchen is with the ingredients that you use. Make sure that you will only use those that you have bought from trusted groceries. Foods that look or smell suspicious should no longer be used. You can never be too sure about the safety of the product especially when the signs are obvious.
If you plan to cook recipes with vegetable, more importantly, using fresh vegetables, you need to make sure that you will wash them well. Exposing them to flowing water may be enough at times. But to be sure, you may use food cleansing products that can help increase the protection that you will have.
The area of your kitchen should be cleaned regularly. Ideally, it should be done after every time that you have used it. This is more vital if you have been using fresh and raw ingredients. Once they contaminate the kitchen, they can be good medium for molds as well as other harmful organisms. They, themselves may even come with several harmful bacteria and substances.
Aside from the counter tops, make sure that you clean the kitchenware that you have used. In addition, appliances and utensils need to be cleaned as well. Not only will it be safe for your health, it will also help lengthen the lifespan of these equipment. Use your trusted brand of bleaching or cleansing agents to help you do the clean up.
Lastly, once the food has been served, make sure they are not left exposed for more than two hours. If this cannot be prevented, it might be better to avoid serving those foods.

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