My son's heading off to university, making his own meals for the first time. Have you got any words of wisdom on preparing food safely?
The resources from the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education seem to be exactly what you are looking for!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
The brand new Be Food Safe education program provides you with all the information you need to give him expert advice.
But if he and his roommates ever need food safety tips while the expert mom is not available, have them visit Mrs. Cookwell. This is a food safety website for young adults who are living on their own for the first time.
Here are a few tips from Mrs. Cookwell:
TOP TEN SAFE FOOD HANDLING TIPS FOR STUDENTS
1. Wash hands before, during and after food preparation.
2. Clean and then sanitize countertops, cutting boards and utensils with a mild bleach solution (5ml/1 tsp. bleach per 750ml/3 cups water) before and after food preparation.
3. Cook to proper temperatures. You cannot tell if meat and poultry are done by the colour of the meat or juices – using a digital food thermometer is the ONLY way to tell if your food has reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Download the handy Cooking Temperature Chart.
4. Marinate foods in the refrigerator. Marinade that has come into contact with raw food must be brought to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute before being used for basting or as a dipping sauce.
5. Do not put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.
6. Do not wash raw meat and poultry before cooking. Bacteria that may be present on the surface of the meat or poultry will be spread around the kitchen with washing. There is no need to wash these foods prior to cooking since any harmful bacteria on the surface will be killed by cooking.
7. Have two clearly marked cutting boards – one for raw meats and another one for cooked foods and washed produce. If you can't get two, scrub up your single cutting board and sanitize with bleach solution or wash in the dishwasher between uses.
8. Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or microwave, not on the countertop. Meat and poultry can also be thawed in its original wrap (sealed packaging) by immersing it in cold water that is changed every 30 minutes.
9. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers (including pizza) within two hours of being served.
10. Cool foods fast. Cool large quantities of warm food in several shallow containers – not one large container.