10.1.3  Precautions for food preparation

Food is particularly vulnerable to contamination while it is being prepared for eating. It is important to remember food handlers’ hygiene and to ensure that all surfaces and utensils are clean.

Foods intended to be eaten raw, such as fruit and some vegetables, must be washed carefully in clean, safe water (Figure 10.2). Food that is to be cooked must be cooked thoroughly to kill all pathogenic microorganisms. All parts of the food must reach a temperature of at least 70^oC. You cannot tell how hot the food is just by looking, so it is important to cook the food for long enough to make sure that it is all cooked through. Cooking, as well as being a very important part of food preparation, is also used for preserving food; this is the subject of the next section.

Figure 10.2  Vegetables must be clean before cooking. (Photo: Janet Haresnape)