Food Safety



  • Wash your hands before & after wearing gloves, wash your cooking utensils when switching from one type of food to another - to avoid cross contamination

  • Bacteria grows well between 4.6 to 7.5 pH balance of the food
  • There are two types of bacterial food borne illnesses: infection & intoxication:
  1. Infection: caused by eating live bacteria. Bacteria grows and attacks directly in your body.  It takes 24-48 hrs to get sick or show symptoms. Examples are: E. Coli, Salmonella, Listeria.
  2. Intoxication: caused by eating toxins that are produced by bacterias growing in the food.  It is the toxins make us sick.  It takes 2-8 hrs to get sick.  Examples are: staph, botulism, red tide.
 
  • Do not leave cooked food in the temperature danger zone (41-135 degrees F.) for more than 4 hours
  • High protein & high moisture food ideally should be kept in the refrigerator no more than 7 days
  • Store cold food at below 41 degree F., store hot food at above 137 degree F.
  • Food should be stored in food grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers only
  • Don't put fresh products on top of the old food - contamination

  • All living harmful bacteria are killed at 180 degree F.
  • Best freezer temperature is from -10 to 0 degree F.
  • Refrigerator temperature range is between 33 - 40 degree F.
  • Most dangerous temperature zone/fermentation zone is between 70 - 120 degree F.
  • 165 degrees F is the proper internal cooking temperature for poultry, leftover food/reheated, stuffing & stuffed food, and microwaved food
  • 155 degrees F is the proper internal cooking temperature for ground red meat, shell eggs held before serving
  • 145 degrees F is the proper internal cooking temperature for shell eggs served right away, steaks & roasts of red meat, and seafood

  • Raw salt water fish raw is edible (due to different chemistry components than our bodies) but raw fresh water fish is NOT edible.
  • Farm raised salmon tends to have high mercury level
  • Duck eggs don't have salmonella