Food Service Safety Month is observed in December, and while it focuses on keeping food prepared in the service industry safe, it also serves to remind us at home to ensure we are doing the right things to make sure what we eat stays free of risks. And since this is the month where there’s a high amount of festive feasting, keeping food safe is more important than ever.
History of Food Service Safety Month
Companies that make meals for hungry customers are subject to some rigorous tests and trials to ensure that any dishes they create for sale are of an especially high hygiene standard. The food service industry is a huge business, with up to 77% of food service sales coming from fast food and full-service restaurants in 2010, worldwide. You will usually hear of food service businesses selling wholesale food to businesses as big as MacDonalds, but plenty of them create single ready meals direct for consumers too.
All eating establishments should have a hygiene certificate, and to must keep on top of making sure its levels of cleanliness stay nice and high. This counts in any food preparation area – from a little cafe down the road to any huge factory producing foodstuffs on a large scale. Every packaged meal you eat, every microwave meal, every tub of ice cream must have been made in an environment subject to the high food safety standards demanded by the food service industry – so you can enjoy your meal without fear of getting unwell.
After all food preparation is complete, surfaces should always be washed. Utensils should not be used for different items before being washed, and it is especially important that raw meat is not stored with cooked meat.
How to celebrate Food Safety Month
When preparing food, a large amount of considerations need to be made – and this month is the perfect opportunity to learn them, whether you prepare food inside the home or work making food in a restaurant or diner.
Foods such as chicken and fish often require being cooked to a certain temperature before they are able to be served. This prevents the risk of any bacteria surviving on the food that might make a person ill.
One of the most effective ways to keep food preparation safe is to wash your hands. In fact, since that’s a great way to prevent illnesses like the common cold, why not pop a bottle of alcohol hand sanitizer in your bag this month so you get into the habit of cleaning up before grabbing a bite?
