Kitchen Sanitation

What is FOOD SAFETY and SANITATION?

• Food Safety: Keeping food safe to eat by following proper food handling and cooking processes

• Sanitation: The prevention of illness through cleanliness

4 Components of Food Safety

• Keep yourself and your kitchen clean.

• Don’t cross-contaminate.

• Cook food thoroughly.

• Refrigerate food promptly.

Keeping YOURSELF Clean

• HANDWASHING!– Use the 20-second

scrub– Soap and WARM

water– Use a brush to clean

fingernails

• Wash your hands:– Before working in the

kitchen– Right after handling

raw meat and eggs– After the bathroom– After touching parts of

your body– After touching pets

Keeping YOURSELF Clean

Other tips:• Don’t sneeze or cough into food!• Wear clean clothes• Remove jewelry• Roll up sleeves• Tie back hair• Cover open wounds on hands with rubber

or plastic gloves

Keeping A Clean Kitchen

• Keep pets out!• Wash all surfaces/utensils in warm, soapy water

BEFORE you begin• Wash tops of cans before opening!• Don’t double dip when tasting• Change dishtowels often

– Use separate towels for wiping hands, wiping dishes, and any other purposes

– Replace dishtowels daily & wash sponges– Clean countertops, cookware, and floors after using!

Washing Dishes 101

1. Scrape and rinse dishes and place them on one side of the sink.

2. Group like items together.3. Presoak any stubborn pans.4. Fill other side of the sink with hot, sudsy

water (don’t burn yourself!)5. Use a sponge or dishcloth to wash

dishes in this order: glasses, flatware, plates/bowls, tools, serving pieces, cookware… WHY?

6. Rinse in hot water.7. Let dishes air dry OR dry with towel.

Don’t CROSS-CONTAMINATE!

Cross-contamination occurs when harmful bacteria spreads from one food to another.

• Can occur with any food, cooked or uncooked

• Juices from raw meat, poultry, & seafood are notorious for this

Preventing Cross-Contamination

• Don’t let packages drip (fridge/grocery bag)

• Wash every surface with hot, soapy water

• Always put cooked food on a clean plate!

• Handle cooked foods with clean utensils

• Don’t refill

serving dishes

CUTTING BOARDS• If possible, have two:

– One for meat, poultry, & seafood

– One for fruits/veggies & other cutting

• Choose plastic over wood• Wash with a chlorine

bleach solution• Know if you can place in

the dishwasher

Food temperature affects bacterial growth.

HOT: During cooking, high food temps kill MOST bacteria.

ROOM TEMP: DANGER ZONE!

COLD: Fridge SLOWS down bacteria.

FREEZING: Freezer stops bacteria from growing, but does not kill

How do we know our food is outside the danger zone?

• CHECK THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE!

• Usually taken at the thickest part of the food

• Should typically be 160° or higher

• Be careful about microwaving or reheating

REFRIGERATE Food Promptly

• Food should only be left at room temperature for 2 HOURS or less– When in doubt, throw it out!

• Store leftovers in smaller, shallow containers to avoid slow cooldown and heating up the fridge

• TIGHTLY COVER containers to avoid contamination during storage

How should we THAW food safely?

• NEVER defrost food at room temperature!– By the time the inside is thawed, millions of bacteria

will have grown on the outside

• SAFE THAWING:– In the refrigerator (in a container)– Submerged in the sink in cold water (change the

water every 30 minutes)– In the microwave oven (if you’re using right away)– As part of the cooking process (cook it longer)