Germs are microscopic organisms that can sometimes be found on the foods we eat. If food is not properly stored or cooked we can end up consuming harmful germs. What are some ways you can prevent germs from getting on your food? Examples: Keep proper food in the refrigerator Cook food thoroughly (reaches a temperature outside of the temperature danger zone) Wash fruits and vegetables Wash your hands before working with or eating food Sometimes germs can still contaminate our food, even if we are trying our best to keep them away. When this happens, we can become very sick. Some of the most common symptoms include: stomachache, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. If your symptoms are severe enough, you may even need to visit the doctor.
Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to kill and eliminate germs! As we go throughout our day our hands accumulate dirt and most of all germs. Washing your hands is the first defense at protecting yourself and your food from germs. Proper handwashing procedure includes: wetting your hands with warm water, applying soap, rubbing hands together making sure to clean all parts (under the nails, between fingers, and backs of hands) for 20 seconds, rinsing the soap away, and drying your hands with a clean towel or air dry. One trick to make sure you are washing long enough is to sing Happy Birthday while you are washing your hands. (http://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/)
When should you wash your hands? Always wash your hands: Whenever you plan on touching or handling any food Whenever you use the bathroom Before you cook After you sneeze After you cough Whenever you touch any trash Whenever you touch any animals After you blow your nose If you ever aren t sure whether to wash your hands or not, always act on the safe side and give them a wash!
There are many other ways to protect yourself from germs. The first of these ways is to cook any raw meats properly. Raw meats can include hamburger, chicken, and fish. When cooking with these types of foods make sure to cook them well-done. Well-done meats are much safer to eat than raw or partially cooked meats. Cooking until welldone will ensure that any germs are killed.
The second way to protect yourself from germs is to keep cold food colds. The second way to protect yourself from germs is to keep cold foods cold. What are some examples of foods that are cold and need to be stored in the refrigerator? Fruit Vegetables Meat Milk Yogurt Eggs If these foods are not kept cold, germs will start to grow and the food will spoil and become dangerous to eat. It is important to keep these foods cold by putting them in the fridge as soon as you get home from the grocery store and also putting leftovers in the fridge as soon as you are done eating them instead of putting them on the counter.
The flipside to keeping cold foods cold is keeping hot food hot! Cooking foods properly destroys harmful germs that can make you sick. What are some examples of foods that should be cooked before eating? Spaghetti and Meatballs, Soup, Lasagna, Casseroles Another way to avoid spreading germs is to keep raw foods away from cooked foods. Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked and can include raw meats, fruits, and vegetables. What are some examples of cross-contaminating your food? Preparing a salad on the same cutting board that you just used to cut raw chicken
Always use clean dishes. Germs love to live on dirty dishes and silverware. Using clean dishes protects you from ingesting these germs. This also includes using different plates and utensils on raw food items and cooked food items like we talked about in the last slide. Eating off of your own plate and using your own utensils will help protect you from germs that can make you sick. Sharing germs can make you and others sick so it is important to only use and eat off of what is yours.
It is important to check your food before you buy it at the grocery store. Checking your food will help you choose foods that are safe to eat. This is particularly important when you are buying pre-packaged foods and eggs. When buying cans, make sure not to buy any cans that are dented, bulging, or rusted. If an item has any of these qualities it may mean it is not safe to eat. When buying eggs, check to make sure none of them are cracked.
All items you buy from the grocery store will have an expiration date. Do not buy foods that are past the expiration date and do not eat foods that are past the expiration date. You can usually tell something is past its expiration date because it smells bad or looks funny. These are also signs this food probably contains harmful germs. Checking to make sure your food isn t past its expiration date will ensure your foods are safe to eat.