A variety of dangerous bacteria
can visible depending on the hygiene of high risk food and of those preparing
it. The illnesses that bacteria cause differ in cause and duration:--
1. Salmonella. Contamination and undercooking generally causes this common type
of food poisoning. 2,500 sufferers in the UK are admitted to hospital each year.
2. Campylobacter. This is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK,
largely due to undercooked poultry.
3. Escherichia coli (E Coli) 0157. E Coli causes potentially fatal harm to the
elderly and young children. You can prevent this by cooking meats thoroughly.
4. Listeria. This type of bacteria is present in raw milk (and anything made
from it) and processed meats. Listeriosis is a huge risk because it can even
counter the cold temperatures of a refrigerator. Only thorough cooking can
destroy this.
High risk foods share. A trend to spoil as a result of unsuitable storage
conditions or improper cooking methods. Meats, fish, gravy, sauces, shellfish,
dairy products, pasta and even cooked rice are all examples, and the smallest
errors can lead to contamination. Consequently, basic mistakes in handling
common produce can negatively impact on anyone.
Clostridium Perfringens. Causing nearly one million illnesses each year, the
most common origin of this bacteria is large quantities of meals that are warmed
for an extended period of time before serving. Companies and institutions are
usually the responsible parties due to feeding many people at once.
Who is Most at Risk. Many of these might seem like relatively low health risks,
due to our spread to the more vulnerable who do not have a fully functional or
developed immune system, things can get much more serious very quickly.
Children, pregnant women, elderly people, and those with pre-existing conditions
can all be particularly susceptible to these sicknesses. In due course, food
poisoning can even become fatal, meaning that high risk foods must be handled
with consistent care without fault.
When a busy schedule is the order of the day, what you eat and where it came
from might not always seem too important. However, this consensus should rapidly
change. After all, each item of food demands different handling methods in order
to ensure customers receive safe food. Bubbling under the surface of it all is
the risk of food poisoning, in which more than 500,000 cases are reported yearly
in the UK alone. Bacterial contamination can spoil many types of food if allowed
to fester, and the causes and consequences are serious. In spite of everything,
it only takes mere hours for symptoms to occur. In one instance of poor
judgement, you can lose a business reputation, or worse, a life. Ultimately,
high risk foods need your unwavering attention to keep people, and restaurant
prospects, safe and secure.
How Can Stop Risks. Kitchen users should always be up to speed with the basics,
in terms of general practice and law. Anything less can leave those accountable
dealing with prosecution, paying hefty fines or even facing a prison sentence.
In the end, knowing something as simple as the difference between use by and
best before dates will eliminate many potential hazards and all the legal and
health ramifications embroiled with them. Additionally, you should allow food
safety officers to carry out inspections of stock in order to comply with the
law too. In the end, there’s no room to cut corners.
Where Should High Risk Foods be Stored. Contamination is not always evident by
your senses of sight, smell or sometimes even taste. Therefore, you can only
avoid contamination with high risk foods by storing them correctly. Bacteria
thrive on protein, moisture, warmth and a good dose of time in order to
multiply. Subsequently, low temperatures become the only viable solution,
slowing down the time bacteria need to grow in number. Your fridges and freezers
are therefore essential, as they quite literally freeze the spread of germs.
Ways you can store high risk foods properly and safely include:--
1. Keeping refrigerated produce below 5 degrees Celsius. This ensures they are
below the designated ‘danger-zone’, in which bacteria can form and fester in
ever-expanding numbers.
2. Storing frozen food at -18 degrees, unless you need to thaw it. If so, you
should transfer it to the fridge before prompt consumption.
3. Sealing refrigerated items properly to preserve nutritional value, texture
quality and flavour, as well as prevent cross contamination.
4. Storing raw and cooked foods separately from one another to minimise any
further likelihood of cross contamination.
Acquiring all produce from a reliable supplier. Refrigerated and insulated
vehicles are a good idea for those wanting to haul their produce cross country,
so check to see if your suppliers use these.
eventually, fending off bacterial parasites is a constant process for every dish
you prepare and serve. Kitchen cleanliness holds a set standard that you must
adhere to at all times, and not just as an occasional one-off to tick a box.
With a solid hygiene routine and a sprinkle of common sense, you can prevent the
spread of harmful germs.