2006/08/05
Good Health Begins With Eating from Mid-Atlantic Region Food Sanitation Workshop
Written by: Pei Hung Wu
Photos by: Wan-Kang Wang
Translated and edited by: Yinhsu Liu, T.L. Chen, Jenner Yeh
On August 5th, 2006 Tzu Chi Mid-Atlantic Region had the honor of inviting Mr. Jackson, a food sanitarian officer from Essex County, to discuss safe food preparation with the Tzu Chi volunteers.
In today¡¦s society, while more people are dining out to enjoy a delicious, chef-prepared meal, few are aware of how their meals are prepared in the kitchen. Most people are only concerned with taste and prompt service but seldom pay attention to sanitation and health issues. Mr. Jackson provided the following useful tips:
1. Handle cooked and uncooked food separately. Many food vendors often neglect this in the midst of their busy work. We ourselves should be vigilant in handling foods to prevent food poisoning.
2. To avoid cross-contamination, use different containers and cutting boards for fruits, vegetables, and meats. We must eat cooked meats, but we may eat the greens uncooked. Likewise, store them in separate containers.
3. Kitchen and storage room should be kept clean to prevent infestations from bugs and rats. Places where food is handled can easily attract bugs and rats. Having someone say, ¡§There¡¦s a cockroach in my soup!¡¨ is a good example of the consequence of not keeping a clean kitchen.
4. Store foods in proper positions in the refrigerator. For example, place raw meats below fruits and vegetables to prevent unwanted juices from dripping onto the greens. Several incidents of food poisonings have occurred due to improper food storage placement. Also,, seal cooked foods properly to keep them fresh. We may have had unpleasant experiences such as watermelon tasting like raw fish, sashimi tasting like pork, etc. This all resulted from inadequate sealing of cooked food.
It is common knowledge that good health begins with healthy eating. Besides savoring taste and aroma, we must not ignore food sanitation. Not only do we need to eat enough and eat well, we also need to eat healthy.
Mr. Jackson used practical examples from daily life to illustrate his points and to help Tzu Chi volunteers gain a better understanding of food sanitation and safety measures. With proper application of the tips learned from this class, Tzu Chi volunteers will surely provide well-prepared and healthy meals for everyone to enjoy.
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