Top 10 Hygiene rules in the Kitchen

Maintaining kitchen hygiene is essential to prevent food-borne diseases. Keeping our hands clean is not enough. There are several other factors to keep in mind to make sure that you serve and eat fresh and healthy food. Even the rags or spoon holders that you use in the kitchen are a storehouse of germs.

Considering these factors, we have listed out some ways to help you maintain hygiene in your Kitchen.

1. Personal Hygiene:

Personal Hygiene should be important to everyone but to a food handler, and it is of paramount importance. The food handler has a moral and legal responsibility of having good standards of personal hygiene. Microorganisms can be transferred from hands to food. One should wash hands with soap and water and dry their hands with a clean and dry towel before touching food; otherwise, the pathogen will enter in food. With favorable conditions, the bacteria will grow and multiply and will cause a risk of contamination.

1. Correct Food Storage:

It is essential to avoid contact between food and air so make sure it is always stored in lidded containers or covered with plastic wrap, mainly when it is still hot. Proper storage will help keep food safe from chemicals and harmful bacteria and help keep contact between air and food minimum. Adequate food storage also helps to preserve the quality and nutritional value of food. If you want your food to last longer, you've also got to store it well. E.g., keep your fridge clean and clear of any items that are out of date, don't put warm food into the refrigerator, don't leave food out for more than two hours (that even includes cut vegetables and fruits).

1. Wash Dishes Properly:

Clean dishes and utensils are essential to family health. Bacteria grow on plates and utensils that are not thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, and dried. Dirty dishes and utensils and food scraps left sitting in the kitchen can attract cockroaches, mice, and other pests. It is also essential to use suitable dishwashing detergent and temperatures or, even better, use a dishwasher with a sanitizing function.

1. Avoid cross-contamination:

Use different utensils and chopping boards for raw and cooked food and other food types to avoid cross-contamination from harmful microorganisms. Never leave edible food next to raw meat. Make sure to use extra shopping bags to pack raw and ready-to-eat food separately. Harmful organisms can move from raw food to cooked food, making you ill and can even cause food poisoning. 

1. Bin and sink Basics:

Regularly cleaning your bin is a crucial aspect of kitchen hygiene. Thoroughly clean the oven and sink once a day. Old food in the sink, container, and range can soon decompose, and bacteria will start to form, making your kitchen unhygienic. Give your sink a quick scrub with a scourer and a spritz of kitchen cleaner once a day, even clean the taps and knobs of the same. Wipe up any pooled water or spillages around the sink with a kitchen towel to keep it hygienic between scrubs.  The same goes with your hob, grill, microwave, and oven - basically everything you use to cook and store food.

1. Defrosting:

When the frost builds up over time, it starts to smell and can interrupt the functionality. It also affects the efficiency and might also increase the energy bill of your fridge. Therefore, defrosting is an essential maintenance job. Food must be defrosted in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of bacteria caused by sudden temperature changes. Every kitchen should be equipped with refrigerated cabinets that create the perfect microclimate and maintain food temperature and moisture content.

1. Clean the Counters:

Kitchen counters live a pretty rough life, between spills and crumbs, grocery bags, and homework. Clean it off with hot water every day and at least once a week with a detergent. Wiping kitchen countertops after every use is one of the most accessible and most essential basic kitchen hygiene rules; it will keep things clean and tidy and free from bacteria.

1. Clean your cutting boards:

Your average cutting board could have more than 200 percent more fecal bacteria on it than the standard toilet seat. Bits of food left on a chopping board will soon breed bacteria, so scrubbing your board immediately after use is essential to stop them from spreading quickly. Hot running water and a good scrub help keep it clean; one should use detergents for plastic cutting boards, and half lemon and salt work fine with food.

1. Wash fruits and veggies:

Use cold running water to remove pesticides and dirt from fruit and vegetables. Most of the bacteria will be in the soil attached to the produce. Washing to remove any soil is, therefore, mainly important. It is always advisable to wash all fruits and vegetables before you eat them to ensure they are clean and help remove bacteria from the outside. Peeling or cooking fruits and vegetables can also help in eliminating bacteria.

1. Avoid grease build-ups:

Grease build-up is problematic; greasy surfaces or pots or pans can prevent proper sanitizing from taking place. Bacteria can hide behind slippery areas, allowing them to survive. Therefore, it is essential to clean them with a clean cloth and multipurpose cleaner to remove the fatty layer before using a suitable surface sanitizer.

I hope this information is helpful for you all!