Food and cooking hygiene

Food and cooking hygiene includes a number of routines which should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning. In 2003, Codex Alimentarius published a document on this subject which serves one of guidelines to the food safety.

The following are fundamental requirements:


 * 1) Wear clean clothes and apron.
 * 2) Wash your hands with soap and water before and after cooking.
 * 3) Tie your hair back with elastic band or rubberband.
 * 4) Keep the temperature of hot food above 140°F / 60°C and keep the temperature of cold food below 40°F / 4°C. Food should not sit at intermediary temperatures (defined as 40-140°F / 4-60°C) for more than 2 hours.
 * 5) Use an instant-read thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked meats.
 * 6) Keep raw meat apart from cooked meat, and wash the cutting board and knife before reusing.
 * 7) Wash meat, fruit, and vegetables thoroughly before use. (although some sources (http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter10.htm) suggest washing meat spreads bacteria, that would otherwise be killed in the cooking process.
 * 8) Do not cook or otherwise prepare food if feeling unwell.