• Cover food before storage to prevent insects from contaminating it and to avoid food drying out
• Cool cooked foods before storage to avoid raising the internal temperature of the fridge and risking bacterial growth
• Store perishable and chilled cooked food in the fridge so that bacterial multiplication is slowed. If perishable foods are to be frozen they should be frozen at –25°C and stored at –18°C.
• Store cooked ready-to-eat food separately from raw food to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Raw food should be stored on the base of the fridge to avoid drip-contamination.
• Keep fridges clean and do not over-pack to allow air circulation around food to keep it cool
? Reheating guidelines
• Reheat cooked food to 100°C for approximately five minutes to ensure food is heated thoroughly
• If using the microwave to reheat food, set at the highest power setting so that food is thoroughly heated. Stir periodically to evenly distribute heat.
• Reheat food once only, as the more times food is cooled and reheated the greater the potential for food poisoning
List five guidelines that should be followed to ensure the safe preparation and storage of food in the home. (10) HL
To ensure that food is safe to eat, discuss the importance of each of the following: • food storage
• cooking and reheating procedures Hazards and contaminants
Hazards are any potential source of harm or adverse health effects on a person. Within the food industry, major hazards may be introduced into the food supply chain at any time during harvesting, processing, transporting, preparing, storing and serving food. Hazards occur in food production processes due to contaminants.
Contaminants are substances that can enter into the food chain either unintentionally or illegally and can adversely affect the human body.
Classification of contaminants Contaminants can be classified as biological, chemical or physical.
Biological contaminants Type
Microorganisms (for example
bacteria and fungi) How contamination occurs
• Consumption of food subjected to poor hygiene practices during storage and preparation
• Consumption of undercooked meat or eggs • Cross-contamination
