Chef Paul: Food Safety is on Everyone’s Mind
June 09 2011
With the recent developments in Europe and the Centre for Disease Control’s recent report, everyone is talking about food safety…and as well they should. 
Food safety is an ongoing issue and by this I mean that every day we must be aware and safe when preparing foods. Proper hygiene and food preparation are essential in all kitchens not only in the professional kitchen.
Here in the MealEasy kitchen I have 5 cutting boards: one for vegetables; one for chicken; one for beef; one for pork and one for fish. They’re all different colours as well, and I’ve posted a list of which board is used for which items so if anyone else were to use them, they would know.
While it’s probably not essential that you rush out and get yourself 5 cutting boards, I would suggest a minimum of 3: one for veggies; one for chicken and one for other meats. It might sound crazy but it’s so much more convenient to dedicate your cutting boards to certain tasks; you don’t have to be constantly scrubbing your cutting board because you just cut chicken on it before you chopped the mushrooms.
The other important bit there is SCRUBBING! Not just washing, but scrubbing your cutting boards after every use is essential.
When it comes to vegetables, the best defense against food borne illness is to carefully and properly wash everything before you eat it. This includes the “pre-washed” box of mixed greens you bought at the grocery store. Don’t leave it to chance…thoroughly wash ALL your vegetables.
Here’s a simple guide to food safety:
Cook: Always cook food to the safe internal temperatures. You can check this by using a food thermometer.
Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often with warm, soapy water and scrub those cutting boards.
Chill: Always refrigerate food and leftovers promptly at 4°C/40°F or below.
Separate: Make sure to always separate your raw foods, such as meat and eggs, from cooked foods and vegetables to avoid cross-contamination.
