Safety & Sanitation In the Kitchen

Terms to Know Sanitation – process of maintaining a clean and healthy environment Food borne illnesses – are sicknesses caused by eating contaminated food Cross-contamination – when harmful bacteria are transferred from one food to another (using same knife to cut meat and salad greens)

Most Common Kitchen Accidents Electrical shock Fires Burns Falls Cuts Poisonings

Preventing Electrical Shock Plug electrical cords into appliances before plugging them into the wall outlets Disconnect appliances by pulling on the plug, not the cord Unplug electrical appliances before cleaning them. Avoid overloading electrical outlets

Preventing Fires Avoid wearing loose clothing and roll up long sleeves when cooking Tie back long hair Never leave food cooking on the range unattended. Clean up grease spills on the range immediately.

Preventing Burns Use a potholder, not a dish towel to handle hot utensils Lift pot lids away from your body to prevent steam burns Do not put water on a grease fire. Cover it with the lid or smother it with salt or baking soda.

Preventing Burns Do not carry a container of hot food across the room without first giving a warning to others Open the oven door flat and pull out the oven rack when removing foods from a hot oven. Keep pan handles turned away from the front of the range when cooking

Preventing Falls Wipe up spills immediately Keep a sturdy step stool handy for reaching high places.

Preventing Cuts Hold tip of knife down when carrying it. If you drop a knife, step back and let it fall Keep knife blades sharp Chop, dice, and slice foods on a cutting board Use knives for cutting only, not opening cans

Preventing Cuts Cut down and away from yourself when cutting Wash sharp knives separately Do not leave cabinet drawers and doors standing open. Turn off electric mixers and blenders before cleaning the sides with a rubber scraper

Kitchen Safety & Sanitation Involves Clean Separate Cook Chill

Clean Keep utensils and work area clean Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before handling food Tie long hair back to prevent it from falling into the food Do not use the towel you dried your hands on to dry the dishes

Clean Rewash hands after handling raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Do not lick your fingers or the cooking spoon when cooking Wash dishes in hot soapy water and sanitize eating utensils Keep kitchen counters clean

Clean Wash top of cans before opening to keep dust and bacteria from falling in. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water before preparation to rid them of bacteria and pesticides Keep mice, rats, ants, flies and cockroaches out of your home

Separate Handle meat, fish, poultry, and eggs with extra care as they are easily contaminated Wash cutting boards and other equipment immediately after using them to prepare raw meat. Never serve cooked meats on the same platter that held the meat before it was cooked.

Cook Do not partially cook meats, poultry or fish, -cook thoroughly and serve immediately Do not stuff meats until just before baking. Remove stuffing immediately after baked. Refrigerate leftovers separately. Keep hot foods hot. – above 140 degrees F. Danger Zone – 40 – 140 degrees F.

Chill When shopping, pick up refrigerated and frozen foods in grocery cart last Refrigerator should be 40 degrees F. or less Freezer – should be 0 degrees F. or below

Chill Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave oven prior to cooking. Never thaw on the counter or in the sink. Never leave perishable foods out for more than 2 hours. Place hot leftovers in shallow containers to promote rapid cooling.