Food borne illnesses make far too many people sick. The risk of getting ill from bacteria in food can be reduced and even eliminated through taking steps in handling, shopping, cooking, as well as storage and refreezing foods that will prevent these illnesses. We cannot see harmful bacteria on our food; we can’t even taste or smell them. But, there are five steps that if we follow, we will be ensuring that even before we get the food back home it has no harmful bacteria.
When shopping:
Buy frozen or refrigerated items last
Go through your grocery list and purchase non-perishables first. After you are through selecting what you need, head to the meat or section where you will select your perishables. That way, you will not be wheeling perishables around for longer than necessary.
Buy vegetables and fruits that are not bruised
Often parts of fruits or vegetables that are bruised, discolored or damaged may be a sign of rot or bacteria infestation. Avoid them.
Fresh-cut produce should be refrigerated
Ensure that if you are selecting half a watermelon, for instance, it should be surrounded by ice or refrigerated.
Check packaging for meat and poultry
Poultry or meat package you select should not be leaking or torn. Any tear in the packaging would mean that there is a possibility that bacteria found their way in. Furthermore you do not want to take meat back home that is dripping, it will also make freezing more cumbersome.
Bag fresh vegetables and fruits separately from meat products
Seafood and all other meats should be bagged separately to avoid cross-contamination.
The obvious thing not to do is buy food that is past its “Use-By’ or “Sell-By” date.
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