Wash and Keep Clean!
Germs can be found everywhere, in our environment, on our hands, cleaning cloths, utensils and food. Consuming food contaminated with these germs can cause food poisoning.
We can prevent food from becoming contaminated simply by washing and keeping our hands, food and environment clean.
Good kitchen and personal hygiene practices are crucial in protecting your family’s health and well-being. Together, we can keep food safe!
- Keep Your Food Clean
- Keep Your Kitchen Clean
- Keep Your Hands Clean
1) Wash and soak fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking.
- Remove the soiled portions of vegetables
- Cut off the base and wash away any residual soil in a basin of tap water.
- Soak the vegetables in fresh tap water for 15 minutes.
- Before cutting and cooking, rinse the vegetables again in a basin of fresh tap water. Special detergent and washes are not needed.
- For harder items like potatoes, scrub the skin gently with a brush.
- Avoid cutting and shredding fruits and vegetables too early to preserve the nutritional value as some nutrients may be lost when exposed to air.
2) Do not put raw vegetables on a plate that has previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood until it has been thoroughly washed. The juices from the raw food can contaminate the raw vegetables that you are going to eat. This is known as cross-contamination.
3) Clean raw meat and seafood before storing or cooking to remove dirt and other contaminants.
4) Place raw food in tightly-wrapped plastic bags or covered containers in the refrigerator to prevent raw food juices from dripping onto other food.
5) Wash and dry utensils – including chopping boards and knives – and surfaces thoroughly before and after preparing raw meat, poultry and seafood. It is best to use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked food. If you only have one cutting board, always wash it thoroughly with soap and hot water between uses.
1) Keep cutting boards, utensils, cleaning cloths, sinks and countertops clean and dry to prevent accumulation of dirt and harbouring of bacteria.
2) Place kitchen waste in bags or covered bins and dispose them frequently. Kitchen waste attracts insects and rodents which can carry germs.
3) Clean all kitchen surfaces and countertops with detergent and hot water.
4) Cutting boards in particular are prone to harbouring bacteria. Use a brush to scrub off the stubborn food and dirt particles. Sanitise plastic cutting boards with chlorine or bleach solution.
5) A smelly dishcloth, towel or kitchen sponge is a sure sign of unsafe bacterial growth. Kitchen sponges in particular, can harbour millions of bacteria. Disinfect these in chlorine solution or heat for 2 minutes in the microwave oven.
6) Frequently change tea towels or dishcloths that come into contact with plates and utensils. After using them, dry them quickly to prevent germs from breeding.
7) Clean up as soon as possible. Do not let food residue dry on kitchen surfaces and utensils. It becomes more difficult to remove.
1) Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling any food items or utensils.
2) Wash your hands before and after preparing food, especially raw meat, poultry and seafood and before handling cooked or ready-to-eat food.
3) Wash your hands after:
- using the toilet.
- touching rubbish/bins.
- coughing or sneezing or caring for the sick.
- handling pets
