Safety and Sanitation
Jake Lawhon and Tyler Denton
First-Aid
There should always be a well stocked first-aid kit in the kitchen in case of cuts, burns, and other cooking related injuries. If someone is choking, you should perform the heimlich maneuver (wrap your arms around the choking person, make a fist with one hand and grasp it with your other hand placed on the stomach and make an upward thrusting motion) or CPR.
Foodborne illness
A contaminant inside a food such as a chemical or organism that causes food to be unsafe to eat, and could cause illness. This can be prevented by proper food handling and cooking. It is good to know that microorganisms that cause foodborne illness grow in moisture and warmth. These microorganisms are carried on people, animals, insects, and objects. Cross contamination can cause foodborne illness as well. This is when you use the same surface when preparing different foods. For example using the same cutting board for cutting meat, and then produce without washing the cutting board between the two. Thawing should be done in ways that prevent the spread of germs. Three ways to do this are to use the microwave defrost setting, putting frozen items in the fridge, or putting the item in a plastic bag submerged in cold water.
Personal Hygiene and Hand Washing
Use warm water and soap and wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. You should was your hands before you work in the kitchen, after handling meats and eggs, after using the restroom, after blowing your nose, and after touching your face or hair. A few personal hygiene requirements for working in the kitchen are: sneeze or cough away from food, roll up long sleeves, have clean fingernails, and cover wounds with gloves.
Food Preparation and Storage
Food should always be cooked thoroughly and refrigerated promptly. When storing food, it should never be left at any temperature between 40 degrees fahrenheit and 140 degrees fahrenheit. That temperature range is known as the danger zone. Diagram below shows the internal temperatures of meat and poultry, and is important to remember when preparing these foods and how you want to cook the meat or poultry.