Home security is a hot topic, with countless TV shows, books, and DVDs available to teach you how to keep yourself and your family safe from everything from burglars to home fires. However, one thing that is overlooked is food safety in the home. Scant attention to food safety and a lack of knowledge about it contribute to foodborne illness, which causes more hospitalizations each year than other household hazards combined.
One simple thing you can do is check your refrigerator. Most kitchen stores and mega stores sell refrigerator / freezer thermometers, which will allow you to check the actual temperature inside appliances, making sure they are working properly. Make sure to move the thermometer, checking the inside of the crisper drawers and door shelves. If the air flow is blocked, the drawers could get too hot, which means that the food could spoil.
Also, never, ever put hot food in your refrigerator. It will cause the temperature inside the refrigerator to rise sharply, and other foods in the refrigerator can go bad in the time necessary to restore balance. Use an ice bath to lower the temperature of hot foods before storing them in cold rooms.
In the freezer, make sure no ice builds up on the grates, walls, and vents. Most modern freezers are frost-free, but in times of heavy use they may need help.
Throughout the kitchen, let sterilization be your watchword. A simple solution of a tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water is all you need to kill bad bugs on kitchen surfaces, and you can even make such a mixture in your sink and dip your small kitchen items in him to keep them spotless and germ-free. -free.
Practicing food safety at home is not difficult at all, but it requires constant attention. Every time you cook, take a few more minutes to make sure your workspace is clean before and after the process. You will not regret!