Food safety may be compromised around Carnival time for various reasons. Many of the causes stem from improper cleaning and sanitation practices as well as poor personal hygiene. This Carnival, keep these tips in mind to ensure that you and your family consume safe food:
Hot foods should be held at 60oC or above and cold food should be kept at 5oC (refrigerator temperature) once prepared
Do not pack hot foods together with cold foods
When transporting food, keep perishable foods on ice. Fried chicken, potato salad, ham, beef and fish, egg or chicken sandwiches need to be kept cold. You can also freeze meat sandwiches the night before
Be careful about ice – separate ice for consumption from ice to be used for cooling in different coolers
Foods should also be bought freshly prepared and should be piping hot. Salads and vegetables are supposed to be kept on ice
Take plenty of moist towelettes or baby wipes and instant hand sanitizer with you to clean your hands before touching food.
If you depend on street vendors for food, be alert of the following:
Their food handlers badge should be current and displayed
Their immediate surroundings are clean, free of litter, pests and other contaminants
The vendor’s attire – they should on have hair nets, closed-toe shoes and not be wearing jewellery whilst handling food. Coats/aprons and gloves should also be clean
The vendor should have facilities that include a supply of clean, potable water in addition to liquid antibacterial soap, hand-drying paper towels and a covered waste receptacle that allows him/her to practice regular hand-washing
Foods should be in temperature controlled devices, such as food warmers and other insulated containers that keep foods out of the temperature danger zone (5-60oC)
All equipment and utensils are clean, functioning, well maintained and made of food grade material (e.g. stainless steel)
If food is being sold from a vehicle, the vehicle should be clean and well maintained
The vendor’s personal behavior does not compromise food safety (e.g. he/she is not eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking or chattering excessively whilst preparing food)
Food packaging materials such as boxes, paper and bags are properly sealed and kept away from airborne contaminants, chemicals and any other hazards that can pose a food safety risk
The vendor is not showing signs of illness such as excessive sneezing, coughing, vomiting, having to use the washroom often and other such symptoms
If you would like to learn more, contact the Caribbean Food Safety Centre (CFSC) at CARIRI at 299-0210 Ext. 5172 / 5053 or you can log on to our website www.cariri.com. Like us Facebook at www.facebook.com/caribbeanindustrialresearchinstitute or follow us on Twitter @cariri_tt