Showing posts with label Food Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Safety. Show all posts

6/2/10

Plastics For Storage And Food Safety

For many years now people have stored food in plastic containers. Now with food safety being of great concern, the use of plastics for storage is being questioned.

With ongoing research and studies occurring more frequently about tainted food, the internet is a useful tool to find information in order to prevent food poisoning from E. coli and salmonella, or even to prevent possible illnesses that occur from the use of plastics.

Food safety on bottled water is also less defined. Because water is considered a reasonably powerful solvent, bottled water could also be at risk for having phthalates dissolved into the water.

There is much online news and discussion about this concern, and some people are adamant about never drinking from a bottled container of water. The longer water stays in a plastic container, and the more extreme the temperature changes it may have been exposed to, the higher the danger.

Most of the research that is currently being done on food safety is inclusive. Studies aren't double-blind experiments and of course double-blind experiments require human participants and that isn't always safe.

Who is doing the research is important to know and also who is funding the research, as studies can be manipulated to convince people that a product is safe.

Until more research is done on plastics and how they can affect people, it would be wise to choose to use steel or glass containers for food and water storage, and to avoid the use of plastic in the microwave.

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5/31/10

Safety Guidelines Protecting Final Food Access

Whether it is a fast food place or a fancy restaurant, they both have final food access before they give you your order.

Thus, restaurant owners must be very aware of safety related food guidelines in order to not give their customers food that has been sullied. The responsibility lies with the owner if someone does become ill after eating a meal at their restaurant.

Whether it was accidental or due to improper food storage or preparation doesn't matter. The result can be a loss of income, loss of customers, penalties imposed, or even lawsuits.

A responsible restaurant owner will not only make sure that the employees have training, but as food access can result in illness caused by external sources, the kitchen must be clean.

Bacteria can grow in an unclean work space, so regular cleaning must be done. A clean and neat kitchen will also encourage customers to return again and to recommend the eating place to their family and friends.

A restaurant is a place with food access and so important regulations and guidelines must be followed. If they are not, it could result in sick customers, which would be disastrous for any business, or it could also mean heavy fines from health officials.

Rather than take the risks of this happening, it is advised to do what is needed to keep the restaurant clean, in order to avoid extra costs and negative publicity.

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5/11/10

Knowing Food Safety Guidelines To Stop Food Contamination

The goal of most restaurants is to stop food contamination before it occurs through the use of proper safety procedures. Many of these procedures center on temperature control. The last thing a restaurant wants is for a customer to get sick by ingesting food that is contaminated as a result of improper temperature control.

At best this could result in the loss of a customer, but at worst it could result in negative press and a huge loss of revenue if the customer dies.

A restaurant owner must ensure that the food handlers do all that they can to stop food contamination. There are specific guidelines that must be followed in order to protect both hot and cold foods from bacterial contamination, which are in place to protect customers from illness.

Hot foods must be controlled at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and cold foods must be refrigerated below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Restaurants can stop food contamination by knowing what the food safety guidelines are and following them faithfully. Some restaurants may become lax about enforcing the guidelines for temperature control.

Whether it is because the owners are too busy or just can't be bothered to spend extra money, they may soon find themselves out of business if people become ill after eating in their establishments.

As a customer, it is important to look on the walls of the restaurant to see if they have a current food safety certificate, and if not, avoid that establishment.

Friends are also a source of important information on what restaurants to visit or those to avoid due to past illnesses.

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