5 Common Food Mistakes

Food safety should be your location’s top priority. By taking a course that gets you and your staff food handler certified, you can ensure that mistakes aren’t made at any level of your services.

Unfortunately, some of the most dire mistakes in the kitchen involve the food on a patron’s plate. Here are 5 food safety mistakes that a certification course can help your staff avoid.

 

1. Tasting Food for Expiration

One of the biggest kitchen safety mistakes is to taste food for bacteria past potential expiration. The issue with this mistake is simple. Bacteria that cause food poisoning can’t be seen, smelled or tasted. Tasting food that could be beyond its expiration date is dangerous for you and your patrons if you wrongfully determine that the food is fit for service.

Your kitchen should keep food well-stored and tracked for wellness. Your staff should be tossing food before bacteria has a chance to grow.

 

2. Thawing Food on a Countertop

The counter is a kitchen’s main hub. However, this isn’t the place to thaw your food. When allowing your food to rest on a counter at room temperature, you are creating an environment where germs can rapidly multiply on your food and countertop.

Safe practices for thawing food must be practiced in the food service industry. The refrigerator and cold water are the best industry practices for ensuring that your food is safely thawed.

 

3. Washing Meat and Poultry

You wash your fruits and vegetables, but do you wash your meat? The answer to these questions should be a resounding no. Raw meat and poultry contain bacteria that can be vey harmful for the body. By washing your meats, these germs can make their way to your sink and other surfaces in your kitchen.

 

4. Consuming Uncooked Eggs and Flour

Uncooked eggs and foods like cookie dough should never be consumed. These raw materials are a breeding ground for Salmonella and E. coli. When working with raw eggs and flour, make sure that your food is cooked thoroughly and that your kitchen surfaces are properly cleaned after contact with surfaces involved with cooking.

 

5. Undercooking Meats and More

Knowing how to properly cook your meat, poultry and seafood is essential. Make sure that any of your staff on cooking duties have a thorough understanding of the proper temperatures that kill bacteria in these foods. Our suggestion is to check your meats with a food thermometer in order to determine the doneness of meats and more.

 

Get Certified to Avoid Kitchen Mishaps with Certified On The Fly

During a food handler certification course, you’ll gain some valuable insight that keeps your customers safe and your location operating smoothly. Make sure that your staff is ready to tackle any obstacle that hits the kitchen and serving areas. Register online today for food handler certification through Certified On The Fly.

Our course is a super fast and affordable option that can be completed at home on your own time. The best part about it is you get the information you need without the threat of a test looming over the process. Sign up to get started on the path to food handler success.

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