The conservation and preparation of food in a hygienic way is essential both to avoid possible health problems and to maintain their nutritional quality. Especially when the hot season arrives, these precautions must be taken.
The kitchen should be a clean and tidy room since food is handled there. Lack of hygiene can create sources of contamination, so care and maintenance should be taken care of.
A series of tips on proper hygiene in the kitchen as well as on the correct handling and cooking of food can greatly avoid possible food poisoning, especially frequent in the summer season. Of these, the most frequent is salmonellosis.
These foodborne diseases are caused by the intake of food contaminated by microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites) or their toxins, which reach the food due to improper handling or poor preservation.
During the summer months, due to its high temperatures, there is an increased risk of microorganism development. Contamination pathways include hands (due to inappropriate habits after the use of toilets) and saliva droplets emitted when coughing, sneezing or speaking can contaminate food (in people carrying germs).
Other routes of contamination can be contaminated water or by washing food with non-potable water, improperly washed utensils and contaminated clothing. Hence the importance of maintaining hygienic habits throughout the process of preservation, cooking and food handling.
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Hygiene standards in the kitchen
The different areas of the kitchen must maintain proper hygiene and cleaning standards. Among them we would highlight:
Pantry
It must be a cool and ventilated place. Food should be moved away from light and heat sources (they should be around 17ºC) and avoid being in contact with the ground.
Fridge and freezer
Keep them clean. Ideally, wash it with soap and water before putting in the weekly purchase and every 3 months make a deeper cleaning.
Garbage
It should always be covered; the ideal thing is a bucket with pedal.
Cookware
Those that are commonly used for food handling such as kitchen tables should be cleaned with water, soap and a brush after each use. The use of hardwood or rigid plastic boards, which are free from defects and that are easy to wash, is recommended. If possible, it is preferable to use two tables, one for fruits, vegetables and ready-to-eat foods and another for raw foods of animal origin that require preparation.
Regarding the rest of the utensils, they must be clean and washed when finished cutting, wash the canned food lids before opening them and never put ready-to-eat food on a plate where some raw food was previously placed (such as meat, chicken or fish).
Pets should not enter the kitchen
Some of the hygiene rules for pets include that if they have to eat in the kitchen, the feeder should be placed in a corner that should be washed after each meal. Cleaning products should always be placed separately from food. In no case can they come into contact with food. It is convenient to have a safety lock and that are not accessible to children.
Cloths and rags
It is recommended to use a cloth or cloth for each use and should be washed and drained after use. The sponges and brushes are perfect if they are washed in the dishwasher. The change of clothes and cloths must be done often. The rags used to dry the dishes and clean the kitchen must be clean. It is advisable to wash them at least once a week with hot water.
The area where you cook must be clean
It can be washed with a special chlorine solution for use in the kitchen (taking care that it does not mix with food) or with a commercial bactericidal solution.
The kitchen sink drain
It can be a focus of germ accumulation. It is recommended to take a specific disinfectant solution, especially if meat or products derived from dead animals have been prepared. This must be done since these wastes remain in the drainage and can create a perfect environment for bacteria to develop.
The 3 Rs of ecology, restore, reuse and recycle, are the pillars on which the use of resources is based, to reduce the amount of garbage and its impact on the environment. Due to the lack of custom or information, the practice of the three Rs may seem laborious and unnecessary. However, it is simpler than it seems. Especially when reusing kitchen waste.
- Lemon peel for digestion
Both pulp and lemon peel have multiple properties and health benefits. They provide vitamin B, C and E, and minerals such as copper, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. If it’s about improving digestive functioning, lemon peel tea turns out to be very effective.
This tea can be drunk after each meal or at some time in the afternoon to promote intestinal transit and fight with excess intestinal gas. This drink can be taken both cold and hot and gives lemon a last use before disposal.
Ingredients
- Lemon peels2 cups of water (300 ml).
- 1 tablespoon of honey (21 gr).
Preparation
- Boil the water together with the lemon peels.
- After the water has reached its boiling point, leave the pot on the fire for 15 more minutes.
- Pass the liquid through the strainer to remove the peels.
- Serve and sweeten with a spoonful of honey to taste.
- Orange peel for ants
A good way to get rid of insects is the smell of orange. For this, you can take advantage of the orange peels, since their acid smell scares away insects. An infusion is prepared with the orange debris. Once ready, it is poured into an atomizer and sprayed near windows, doors and all those places where there may be mosquitoes. Its smell will be much more pleasant than that of any chemical pesticide.
- Coffee flavouring
The aroma of coffee is perfect to eliminate bad odours. The coffee powder left in the coffee maker retains that delicious and unmistakable smell of this drink. To take advantage of it, you take the powder and let it dry, then place it in cloth bags, and they are located in places like closets, the shoe drawer, near the cat litter box or the garbage can.
With Recyclit, we simplify the entire recycling procedure and save you a lot of time and effort from collecting all organic and inorganic wastes by having you posting them and letting the self-closing stainless-steel doors prevent any smells from spreading outside the recycling bin.