You need to handle your food with care if you wish to prevent food-borne illnesses. The three basic points to remember while handling food are -
1. Clean your hands, kitchen and dining surfaces regularly, and before handling food.
2. Cook foods to proper temperatures to avoid bacterial contamination.
3. Refrigerate and re-heat appropriately to prevent spoilage.
Other important points in food handling -
* Choose fresh produce from the market. Transfer the fresh veggies and fruits to the refrigerator as quickly as possible.
* Cook vegetables till crispy tender. Do not overcook.
* Cut, clean and cook non-veg foods and other foods separately to avoid cross contamination. Meats, fish, eggs get more easily contaminated by micro-organisms than others.
* Eat hot or warm cooked food. Do not keep cooked food at room temperatures for long periods of time (more than 2 hours).
* If you need to eat cold foods like dessert or salad or cold soup, eat it fresh; not stale.
* Use cooked leftovers within 3 days of refrigeration.
