The kitchen often becomes the centre of the home.  We can’t live without nourishment, and even those who don’t cook store their food here.  When entertaining guests drinks can be fab’d in the kitchen, and preparing meals in front of them is a sure way to create some fun.  Of course when someone is feeling the effects of food poisoning four hours later, it can dampen the party.  With care and caution you can be confident the food you serve to your guests, and yourself is safe.

The equipment and appliances in your home will come into contact with potentially harmful pathogens and keeping them clean is a must. There are many products available that will do the job, but the method is more important than the chemicals used. The HACCP guidelines say that utensils and cookware should be washed in a soap water solution using hot water (no less than 44 C), then rinsed in hot water, then sanitized with a solution of bleach or similar product. Ideally, a kitchen would have three or four sinks to accomplish this task, but most of us have one or two. A handy way to overcome this is by using a drying rack to hold the washed dishes, then rinse in hot water, drain the sink one more time, and soak the dishes in the bleach solution for 15 seconds. If a dish washing machine is used, the drying cycle will heat its contents enough to avoid the bleach, but the inside temperature should be checked twice a year to ensure it is above 74 degrees. Cleaning the kitchen is a never ending task when you use the area for preparing three meals a day, but keeping it clean as you go will make the job more manageable.

A thermometer is an indispensable tool that can be found at hardware and department stores. Try to find one with a wire lead on the probe. This device can be used to check your fridge and freezer temps periodically. A clean probe inserted into an apple and left for 20 minutes is a good check for the fridge. The safe range is between 0 and 4 degrees C. Also check the freezer to ensure -16 to -20 C is achieved. Depending on the make of your appliance, in summer months there may be the need to switch modes to prevent condensation from building up on the outside of the machine. Look for a switch on the inside for adjusting the temperature and the mode. Some freezers are classified as frost free, but most will need to periodically be defrosted. Every four months would be plenty for any unit. This practice will help the freezer operate efficiently The thermometer will also be handy for probing meat when you think it might done cooking, to ensure the internal temp is above the safe minimum (e.g. 74 C for chicken).

Along with temperature, time is also an enemy to stored food. Make a habit of freezing anything you don’t intend to cook in the next three days when you come home with a load from the grocery store or market. It’s important to keep track of how old your edibles are getting. Most perishable items are stamped with a best before date. If the food has been labelled and stored properly the probability it will be spoiled before this date is very low. Once this date is passed they’ll need to be examined carefully before they are consumed. Rotten items will often be easily identified by a bad odour, a change in colour, slimy surface texture, or spots of fungal growth. It’s better to be safe than sick, so if you are unsure about the freshness of something, get a second opinion, or just dispose of it.

Safe food handling practices can only go so far, you’ll also need to be picky about where your food is coming from.  The exciting new trend of locavorism is catching on and keeping our food fresher, and healthier.  Here is another blog about becoming a locavore.  Combining local eating with proper storage and diligent cleaning will ensure everyone will enjoy the parties you are hosting.  Be cautious not to make the food too good, or your guests will be calling you to find out when you’ll do it again!