[reblogged from rainharvest]

  We use our hands for almost everything that we do; eating, writing, gardening, woodwork, driving, decorating and going to the loo…  So it isn’t difficult to understand why it is important to keep them clean, is it?

  When you are training to be a chef, the very first thing that you will be taught about is cleanliness.  Washing your hands is the most basic part of all when it comes to basic food hygiene!  You would think that hand washing was so blatantly obvious that it would be totally unnecessary to teach people about it. ..

  But, it isn’t just those in the catering industry who should have clean hands; it is every one of us!  Because we come into contact with so many different surfaces each day, we can spread countless germs if our hands are not kept clean.  You would be surprised at just how many people go to the toilet and come back out without washing their hands. Urk! It’s no wonder there are so many nasty illnesses out there!

[reblogged from thesun]

  We all know about basic food hygiene (well, 99% of us do…), but it’s surprising how many people use the same dishcloth for weeks on end!

  It’s not rocket science, is it?  When you wash the dishes, you are removing bits of food.  And what does a lot of that stick to?  Yup, the dishcloth.  And if you don’t change it regularly, then it will harbour goodness knows how many germs!

  If you shop around, then you can buy washable cloths very cheaply.  These are great and you can bung them in the washing machine several times before they give up the ghost.  It’s a good idea to use a clean dishcloth every couple of days or they will just end up a haven for bacteria.

  Tea towels should also be changed regularly.  The most hygienic method of all is to allow your dishes to dry naturally.  But if you do insist on helping them along it is important to use a clean tea towel each time.

  So many germs can be got rid of by following these simple methods.

[reblogged from people.bu]

  What is it with the traditional clothing of a chef?  White is not really the most practical of colours for them to wear, surely?  I’d have thought that a darker colour would have been a more appropriate choice. 

  Think about it logically; they are working with food all day long.  Okay, so some of it is pretty solid, but there are always plenty of gooey sauces to contend with, not to mention custard or gravy. It is only going to be a matter of time before they get splashed with something messy; this is just inevitability.

  Have a close look at the next ‘celebrity chef’ that you see on television.  They always look so clean!  They must soak their clothes in bleach for a week at a time.  We all know how difficult it can be to remove splashes of curry or barbeque sauce! 

  At least it’s reassuring when you see a chef in a crisp white outfit.  If he has gone to the effort of wearing nice clean clothes, then his food hygiene knowledge must also be pretty good.  Maybe that’s the whole point of a chef dressing in white; it gives the customer peace of mind.

[reblogged from absoluteradio.co.uk]

  Finding a new job can be quite a challenge and it is easy to get disheartened.  Many employers will not even send out letters of refusal these days because of the sheer amount of applicants and getting to the interview stage will often seem downright impossible.

  So what more can you do to improve your chances of employment?  You’ve got a good work history and you have all of the basic qualifications.  Well, why not think about doing some other training courses in the meantime?  The more certificates you have, the better your CV will look!  And it will certainly impress any potential employers if you are doing something constructive whilst you are out of work.

  Many training courses are free of charge if you are unemployed and you could get a substantial discount on any that you do have to pay for.  Maybe there is a particular line of work that you are interested in?  Why not see what courses are available which would be useful for a job in that same industry.  It may be bricklaying, art and design, engineering or food safety training.

  Instead of getting despondent, see this period of temporary unemployment as a time to improve your skills.  It is all about getting ready for something you really want to do!

[reblogged from wordpress]

  There are many very good reasons for having knowledge of basic food hygiene and one of the biggest of all is called ‘salmonella’.  In the United States, up to 142,000 people contract ‘salmonella enteritidis’ every single year.  99 percent of these people will make a full recovery, but it can actually prove to be fatal in a handful of cases. 

  Salmonella infection can come about in several different ways.  It is very important to be aware of these as they can all be avoided very easily.

• Water that is left pooled on worktops or unused water in containers.
• Dirty food or kitchen equipment.
• Unwashed hands (particularly after they have been in contact with animals).
• The water from frozen fowl if it has not been thawed properly. 

  Most kitchen hygiene boils down to simple common sense.  You should always wash your hands before handling produce, animals should never be allowed in a food preparation area and peelings, puddles or spillages should be cleaned up immediately and thoroughly.

[reblogged from topnews.in]

  We’ve all seen those infamous television programmes, haven’t we?  Dirty diners, crusty cafes and repulsive restaurants; it’s a wonder any of us still go out anywhere to have a meal or a snack!  These documentaries lead us all to believe that filthy food outlets are in very good supply.  There is nothing worse than ordering a meal and then wondering if the chef has remembered to wash his/her hands before preparing your food!

  However, most catering businesses are incredibly clean establishments and their owners take genuine pride in keeping them that way.  They are fully aware that cutting corners with hygiene can result in some very serious consequences.  Cleanliness is the most important ingredient of all in the catering industry!

  The media has a nasty habit of dwelling on the darker side of life.  Filth, scandal and shady business owners all make great ingredients for headline news.  But if you run a proper restaurant or cafe that is big on its food hygiene, then you will do everything within your power to let your customers know their meals are prepared in a clean environment.

When it comes to maintaining standards of food hygiene, knowledge is essential. For example, knowing the places bacteria are commonly found can greatly help you plan your culinary activity and help you focus on the key areas to keep clean. Places bacteria lurk include:

• Eggs and any product containing raw eggs.
• Soft cheeses and mould-ripened cheeses.
• Meat and poultry.
• Unwashed fruit and vegetables.
• Seafood
• Unpasteurised milk

Even cooked foods can contain bacteria if they haven’t been cooked, cooled or stored properly! Do also remember bacteria can spread from raw food to cooked or ready-to-eat food – so make sure you store them separately! In fact, there are various things to remember with regards to raw and cooked food:

• Change or clean knives after using them on raw meat; never allow a utensil that has touched raw meat to touch cooked or ready-to-eat food.
• Use separate chopping boards and utensils for preparing raw foods, cooked foods and fresh foods.
• If a marinade, sauce or oil has been used on raw meat, don’t use it on other kinds of food.

By following these rules and adapting them to various situation, you’ll greatly improve standards of food hygiene and food safety in your kitchen.

One of the key ways to prevent the spread of microorganisms is maintaining high levels of food hygiene, both in the kitchen and on your person. Here are some basic rules to follow before handling food:

1) Wash your hands with hot water and soap, preferably anti-bacterial soap. Remember to wash under your nails as well!
2) Wash your hands again if changing from handle uncooked to cooked food.
3) After washing your hands, don’t be foolish and dry them on a dirty towel! Use a clean or disposable towel.
4) Cover cup any cuts or sores on your hands arm wrists.
5) Remove all hand jewellery; it is easy to forget how many germs can gather around rings and bracelets – take them off!
6) If you are ill, especially if you’re suffering from stomach upsets or colds, do not handle food at all!

After preparing food, make sure you clean all utensils thoroughly and wipe down all surfaces. Use different cloths for different areas and be sure to keep all cleaning equipment as clean as possible; there’s no point wiping down a surface with a dirty cloth!

Although the most serious kinds of food poisoning are caused by bacteria, it’s very easy to kill them off before eating – by simply cooking your food properly!

The essential thing to bear in mind when cooking food is that bacteria cannot survive above a certain temperature. The purpose of cooking is hence to raise the food to a temperate high enough that the bacteria will die – this occurs at about 70°C. If you don’t cook your food to a high enough temperature, the bacteria may well survive or, even worse, multiple even faster!

As well as ensuring all food is piping hot and steaming before serving it, there are various other precautions you should adhere to, to ensure your safety. For one thing, follow the instructions on the recipe or packaging – makes sure you cook the food for the appropriate amount of time and at the correct temperature. When it comes to cooking meat, it is essential to check that pork and poultry products are cooked the whole way through before serving; there should be no pink meat left in the middle and the juices should run clear when the meat is skewered. A food thermometer can help!

As much as people may love running egg yolks, these are not safe to give to vulnerable people; children, ill, elderly or pregnant people, for example. This is because eggs contain many very harmful bacteria that must be killed before serving.

Most people have heard of food poisoning, know it is caused by poor food hygiene and know somebody who has had it. However, it seems far more people are familiar with the symptoms of food poisoning – cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea – than with what actually causes the illness. Allow me to explain:

The most common causes of food poisoning are micro-organisms like viruses, moulds and, in the most serious cases, bacteria. Bacteria is an especially dangerous source of food poisoning due to the speed with which bacteria multiply; a single bacterium, harmless on its own, can form a colony millions-strong overnight, given the right conditions! This is when severe cases of food poisoning occur – the kind that can actually kill a vulnerable person!

Bacteria have different ways of causing food poisoning, which take different lengths of time to occur. If the bacteria produce toxins, the symptoms of food poisoning will become apparent quite soon after eating the food. On the other hand, some bacteria will multiple once they are inside the body – taking anything from a few hours to a few days to grow in number sufficiently to cause illness.