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The preparation of food involves potentially severe health hazards if basic hygiene routines are ignored. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
The following are fundamental requirements:
- Wear clean clothes and protective apron.
- Wash hands with warm soapy water before preparing food and after handling raw meat, fish and poultry.
- Restrain hair with a kerchief, elastic bands or hairnet.
- Keep the temperature of hot food above 140F/60C and keep the temperature of cold food below 40F/4C. Food should not sit at intermediary temperatures (defined as 40-140F/4C-60C) for more than 2 hours.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked meats.
- Keep raw meat apart from cooked meat, and wash the cutting board and knife before reusing.
- Wash meat, fruit, and vegetables thoroughly before use.
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