Personal Injury Law

Food safety in your kitchen

By Rob Mancini

The Toronto Sun is giving tips in keeping your kitchen clean and safe.

Start by checking inside your fridge and cupboards for foods that are stale or have evidence of spoilage. For many foods, it's more a taste and quality issue than safety, but it's a good idea to pitch what's old and stale. Look at the back of your fridge and freezer for bags or jars of food that have been there a very long time. Foods that have an "off" odour, drastic change in colour or texture or any signs of spoilage should be thrown out.

While you're at the fridge, give it a good cleaning and check to make sure that the temperature is 4C (40F) or lower. A good cleaning means cleaning the interior surfaces, removing the bins and shelves, washing and drying them. The freezer temperature should be -18C (0F)

Always follow package instructions about refrigeration and storage.

In Canada, "best before" dates are indicators of quality, not food safety. Once a package is opened, the "best before" dates don't apply. For example, with deli meats, once opened you should only keep the product for 3 to 5 days.

I must admit, I have old spice jars that have been in my pantry for several years. And while they won't make me ill, it's likely that they also won't add any taste to my food ... so it's a good idea to go through those as well. Also, herbs and spices should be stored in a dark, cool cupboard.

Have a first-in, first-out out policy for rotating all your stored foods. Put the dates on cans when you put them in the cupboard and try to use within a year. They won't spoil after the year, but the quality could diminish. If there are signs of bulging or leakage, they aren't safe to use.

Always label and date leftovers.

Condiments like mustard, preserves and ketchup generally have enough salt, sugar or an acid medium to preserve them for longer but if the smell, colour or texture is off, it's time to get rid of them.

A good website for information about how long foods can stay safe and tasty is stilltasty.com.

And, always remember food safety when it comes to handling food.

Wash hands, utensils and surfaces with hot soapy water before, during and after preparing foods.

Always wash plates and utensils used for raw meat or poultry before using them for cooked meat or other food. Keep separate cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables.

Sanitize countertops, cutting boards and utensils with a mild bleach and water solution (5 mL/1 tsp. bleach per 750 ml/3 cups water) before and after food preparation.

Vegetable brushes and pastry brushes should be cleaned thoroughly after every use. If they are dishwasher safe, run them through the dishwasher. Or, clean with hot soapy water and rinse well.

Wash your dishcloth or sponge with hot water and soap after every use. Change sponges, dishcloths, towels often -- machine wash in hot water. Replace sponges every few weeks. Consider using paper towels to wipe kitchen surfaces.

Make sure that raw foods don't contaminate cooked foods, either directly by contact or indirectly (i.e. by letting meat juices drip on other foods on a lower shelf in the fridge). Place the raw foods in sealed containers or plastic bags on the bottom shelves.

I agree with pretty much everything except replacing sponges weekly. Sponges and dishcloths must be replaced daily to reduce microbial counts which can be in the millions. Washing with soap and hot water really won't do much when it comes to a porous material such as a dishcloth where minute food particles become lodged providing a perfect medium for bacterial growth. If one is not compelled to replace their sponge/dishcloth daily then I would suggest placing them in a container of water and microwave on high for a minute, this should do the trick.

Full post as published by BarfBlog on January 11, 2010 (boomark / email).