Food Hygiene Essay

553 Words3 Pages
Good food hygiene is essential in any kitchen, be it industrial or domestic. Consequences of poor food hygiene can cause illness and, in severe cases, death. There are 3 main types of contamination. These are: * Bacterial – caused by bacteria or other microorganisms that can live on food. These tiny bacteria, such as E. coli or salmonella, can be passed on in many ways. Some examples are: being passed on from insects such as flies; food handlers not washing their hands correctly before preparing food; spores from fungal bacteria being transmitted through the air; vegetables not having been washed correctly and containing bacteria from the soil or animal faeces. Cooking food to the correct temperature is usually enough to kill most bacteria. * Chemical – caused by chemicals that are toxic to humans. Chemical contamination is usually the result of harmful detergents being accidentally spilled on food, or not being rinsed off kitchen utensils properly before use. * Physical – this form of contamination is usually the result of foreign bodies entering food products that should not be there. Physical contaminants are usually things such as earrings or other jewellery, hair clips, pieces of glass – basically anything that should not be in foodstuffs. All of these forms of food poisoning can be managed with good practice of food hygiene. Important principles of food hygiene are: * Proper hand washing technique – one should always wash their hands before preparing food, or after preparing any food which may cause cross contamination. One should be sure to be thorough when washing hands; there is a diagram demonstrating good hand washing technique on page 3. * Storing food properly – it is very important that food is stored at the correct temperature and in the right conditions to avoid the spread of and manage the multiplication of bacteria. One should
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