How changing cooking habits can affect food safety
The British have famously preferred their meat well-done, even to the point of resembling the sole of a shoe! And yet, over the last few years, more and more diners seem to be opting for a more European approach to the cooking of their meat.
Steaks are getting rarer, as is lamb and even pork. These changes in tastes raise certain issues regarding food safety. If meat is not thoroughly cooked through, it can cause infection if it is contaminated. Cooking eliminates bacteria or bugs that can cause illness in humans.
Contamination can occur at any stage of the food production process, and of course, it is not limited to meat: sprouts caused a major outbreak of E. coli last year, and there have been other infections caused by vegetables or the soil stuck to them.
Attention needs to be paid to the way that food is stored, handled and prepared, if the risk of contamination is to be kept to a minimum. Food safety training is essential for those working in the food industry. Hygiene is of paramount importance, and workers need to understand the risks and how to reduce them, both in terms of personal hygiene and working practice.