Kitchen and Food Safety
Learn all about food safety
Preventing Kitchen Accidents
- Put Everything You'll Need Within Arms Reach
- Keep Your Kitchen Clean
- Turn Pots and Pan Handles Inwards
- Don't Pass Pots With Boiling Water Over People
- Be Wary Of Hotspots
- Always Have An Extinguisher Ready
- Always Wash Hands.
What to do in an emergency
- Get everyone out of the building
- Call authorities from a neighbours
- Call Poison Control (1-800-268-9017)
- Call 911
If Burned:
- Run Burn Under Cold Water
- Take a Pain Reliever
- Use Aloe Vera
- Wrap The Burn In Gauze
Some Food Borne Illnesses
Camplyobacter
Starts 2-5 Days After Consuming
Can last up to 10 days
Potential Health Impacts: Sudden Gall Bladder Infection, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Meningitis, Reiters Syndrome, Chronic Colitis
Some Common Food Sources Include:
Raw Eggs, Raw Milk, Raw or Undercooked Meat, Raw Veggies, Shellfish or Untreated Drinking Water
Botulism
Stars 12-36 hours after consumption
Can last from 2 hours up to 14 days
Potential Health Impacts:
Though this foodborne pathogen is rare in Canada, treatment includes anti-toxins that you have to take for several weeks to possibly months.
If a severe care there is need for intensive medical care, possible Paralysis or respiratory failure.
Anything not treated could lead to death in 3-10 days of having the disease.
Common Food Sources: Canned or low-acid food, smoked/salted/fermented fish, fermented marine mammal meat, baked potatoes, honey, low acid juice, improperly cured meat products.
Ecoli
Potential Health Impacts:
Up to 15% of Children are infected, with a much smaller proportion of adults developing it.
You can Develop Hemolytic Urenmic Syndrome.
There is a type of Kidney Failure that recovers in a few weeks while other get life long organ damage and complications
Common Food Sources: Undercooked/Raw Beef, unpasteurized Apple Juice, Milk Products, untreated Drinking Water, Contaminated raw Fruits + Veggies
How to prevent Foodborne Ilness
Buy From A Retailer Who Follows Proper Practices Assures Food is Safe
Investigate Your Food! Does it Smell Clean? Does It Look Clean?
2. Keep Certain Foods Apart
Seperate Meat, Poultry, Sea Food from other foods in your cart - When you get home place them into plastic bags.
3. Inspect Can and Jars
Make sure not to buy can or jars that have a bulge or a dent in them. A Bulge could show that the food was under processed while a dent could have left a small opening which can lead to contamination as would a crack.
4. Inspect Frozen Food Packaging.
Avoid packages that are above the 'frost line' because that could mean it was sitting there for a long time OR was thawed and then refrozen.
5. Choose Eggs Carefully
Before you just throw your eggs in the cart inspect them to make sure they're clean and none are cracked!
6. Be mindful of the temperature and the time.
After purchase you have two hours to put your groceries away and not let it stay in the 'Danger Zone'. This ensures that bacteria doesn't multiply. Leave it to one hour when it is greater then 90 degrees Fahrenheit because of the extreme heat.
If you live far from the grocery store, turn on your AC and put the groceries in the passenger seat not the trunk, so that they stay cool and bacteria will not grow quickly.