Here are foods requiring special attention to avoid poisoning
| food safety |
Meat
- All made-up dishes, such as cottage pie, need extra care. They must be very thoroughly cooked.
- Reheated meat dishes must be thoroughly reheated.
- Poultry that is drawn in the kitchen should be cleaned carefully: boards, tables and knives must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized afterwards, otherwise there is a danger of contamination from excreta.
- Meat should be handled as little as possible. Minced and cut-up meats are more likely to become contaminated because of infection from the food handler. Boned and rolled joints require extra care in cooking as inside surfaces may have been contaminated.
- Sausages should be cooked right through.
- Tinned hams are lightly cooked, therefore they must be stored in refrigerator.
Fish
Fish is usually washed, cooked and eaten fresh, and is not
often a cause of food poisoning except in reheated fish dishes. Care must be
taken to reheat thoroughly such dishes as fish cakes, fish pie and coquilles de
Poisson.
Some shellfish, such as oysters and mussels, have caused
food poisoning because they have been bred in water that has been polluted by
sewage. They are now purified before being sold. All shellfish should be used
fresh. If you buy them alive, there is no doubt as to their freshness.
Eggs
Both hens’ and ducks’ have been implicated in causing food
poisoning, and DoH guidelines now suggest that it would be prudent to avoid
eating raw eggs or uncooked foods made from them, such as home-made mayonnaise,
home-made mousses and suchlike. If dried eggs are used they should be
reconstituted and used right away, not left in this condition in a warm kitchen
as they may have been contaminated during or after processing. Bulk liquid egg
undergoes pasteurization but may be contaminated after the container is opened.
Hollandaise sauce, which is made with eggs, is an example of a food that should
not be kept in a warm kitchen for long.
Milk dishes
When used in custards, trifles and puddings, unless eaten
soon after preparation, milk should be treated with care. Two hours is the
maximum for keeping, then it should be discarded.
Watercress and other green salad
Watercress must be thoroughly washed as it grows in water
that could be contaminated by animals. All green salads and other foods eaten
raw should be washed well.
Synthetic cream
Synthetic cream can be a cause of food poisoning if allowed
to remain in warm conditions for long periods. It is easily contaminated by
handling and from the air. Particular care is required in the handling and
holding at the correct temperature of soups, sauces and gravies because
bacteria multiply rapidly in these foods.
Reheated foods
In the interests of economy a sound knowledge of handling
left-over food is necessary. Many tasty dishes can be prepared, but care must
always be taken to see that the food is thoroughly and carefully reheated. If
care is not taken food poisoning can result. Only sound food should be used:
‘if in doubt, throw it out.’
Safety first
When deciding whether or not to use ‘left-overs’, again: ‘if in doubt throw it out’.
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