(Food-Beverage-News.Com, February 19, 2015 ) Oakland, CA -- Nothing's more important than ensuring the health and safety of the family, especially when it comes to serving them home-cooked meals. Apart from making sure that the kids get the nutrition their bodies need, parents also have to ensure that the food they prepare is guaranteed safe. To help households ensure the health of their families, contemporary kitchenware manufacturer Finesseur shares important tips to keep in mind when preparing food in the kitchen.
"Adopting the right kitchen practices is vital when preparing food so we can be sure that we're serving safe meals for our family. When not equipped with proper information on safe food preparation, we may be putting our family at risk of acquiring illnesses caused by food contamination," says Allison Montgomery, spokesperson for Finesseur.
Food contamination or cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria from one object, place or person to another. Cross-contamination is largely associated with the occurrence of food-borne illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 6 Americans or roughly about 48 million people get sick of foodborne diseases. Moreover, about 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of such illnesses. While the numbers are alarming, the CDC emphasizes that food-borne illness is a preventable public health problem if consumers, the food industry, and food safety regulators make significant efforts to improve food safety.
"It is important for consumers to be in the know when it comes to adopting food safety practices as health and safety starts in the home. When we prevent cross-contamination in food, we are also preventing the risk of developing food-borne diseases. Through our tips, we hope to furnish consumers with the right information on how they can prepare food safely to avoid contamination and keep food-borne diseases at bay," explains Montgomery.
1. Make sure to clean the kitchen often, especially surfaces and counter-tops where food is prepared. Always clean all the kitchen tools and dishes being used frequently for food preparation. More importantly, always wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food items.
2. Have a separate towel for drying hands and drying kitchen utensils, tools, and dishes.
3. Harmful bacteria can spread from cutting boards, and thus should be kept clean at all times. Make sure to have different cutting boards for different kinds of cutting jobs. Have one for cutting fresh produce and another for raw meat, seafood and poultry. Replace cutting boards that have become excessively worn or have developed grooves that are hard to clean or wipe out as these become breeding places for bacteria.
4. Like cutting boards, can openers can also spread harmful bacteria within the kitchen. Make sure that the can opener is clean before and after using. Follow cleaning instructions carefully to maintain its quality and functionality. Invest in a high-quality can opener that ensures safety when being used. "High-quality can openers like side-cutting can openers not only provide efficiency when opening cans, but more importantly, ensure safety and protection of the user. It opens cans smoothly without leaving any rough edges, so you don't put yourself at risk of injuries while protecting the contents of the can as its blade is designed to cut away from the can contents. This means, food stays safe from cross-contamination," shares Montgomery.
5. Before cutting or eating, make sure to wash fruits and vegetables under running tap water to remove dirt. Bacteria can multiply on cut produce, so do not leave them at room temperature longer than necessary.
6. When marinating, make sure to store marinated food inside the refrigerator. Boil marinated sauce before using on cooked foods.
With these safety tips, Finesseur hopes that consumers will be more aware about the way they prepare meals so that food safety is ensured and food-borne illnesses are prevented. "Keeping in mind safe food practices is your greatest protection against food-related diseases. With the right knowledge on safe food preparation, you become more empowered and efficient in the kitchen, while also ensuring the health and safety of your loved ones through the meals you prepare," concludes Montgomery.
About Finesseur
Finesseur brings fashion design, precise engineering, and top quality craftsmanship together in American kitchens. Finesseur believes kitchen tools should be not only functional, but also inspirational.
