The preparation of food involves potentially severe health hazards if basic
hygiene routines are ignored.
Food can transmit
disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for
bacteria that can cause food
poisoning.
The following are fundamental requirements:
- Wearing clean clothes and protective apron.
- Washing hands with warm soapy water.
- Wearing hair in a responsible manner (e.g. kerchief, long hair in plaits or pony tail).
- Keeping the temperature of hot food above 140F/60C and keeping the temperature of cold food below 40F/4C. Food should not sit at intermediary temperatures (defined as 40-140F/4C-60C) for more than 2 hours.
- Using an instant-on thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked meats.
- Do not use the same cutting surfaces or utensils for both meat and vegetables.