Question

Why are the four levels of food handling relevant to food contamination?

Answer 1

The four levels of food handling include: CLEAN, SEPARATE, CHILL and COOK . They are meant to reduce the risk of food contamination and protect a person from food borne illness.

A) Clean: Bacteria and germs are found everywhere so kitchen should be cleaned properly , hands should be washed before eating or before cooking, the ingredients used in cooking should be washed before use and cooked food should be covered properly.

B) Separate: Even if surafce is cleaned and hands are washed there is possibility of illness because of cross contamination or raw meat not handled properly. Raw meat should be kept separate in separate bag.

C) Chill: Refrigeration of food leads to slow down of bacterial / microbial growth. Temperature should be around 40 F for refrigeration.

D) Cook: Food should be cooked to a certain temperature which makes it fit for human consumption thereby killing microbes. Meat or sea food should be cooked around 145- 160 F.