Avoiding Food Poisoning
I expect you have all had food poisoning at some time in your life. After all, millions of people in the UK alone suffer from it every year! I have had it quite a few times in the last few years, but this isn’t surprising given my tendency to rush my cooking and use just about any cutlery and crockery that are within arms-reach. So, in case you are like me and would rather not have it again, I have taken the liberty of writing a series of posts with some helpful tips and hints to help you avoid the agonies!
Firstly, cook your food properly. This sounds like an obvious thing to say and makes Master Chef look like a pointless programme; nobody sets out to cook their food improperly, but the point is that you must be sure to cover all the basics. Make sure that you properly thaw frozen meats before cooking them, for example. When it comes to cooking, make sure that it is “piping hot” the whole way through before you serve it – whatever it may say in your recipe, if the chicken is still pink inside it ain’t done! Everyday cooking is not the time to start experimenting with pink meats; cook your food the whole way through and you’re halfway to winning the battle against food poisoning! What’s more, don’t reheat food over and over again – that’s just asking for trouble! Rice and chicken especially are home to a whole load of nasty bacteria that will really do a number on you if allow them time to grow and a warm climate to grow in!
A simple start! Next time: storage!
