VOEDSELVEILIGHEID – FOOD SAFETY
Nou met almal wat weer die sop potte nader trek, onthou net om veilig te wees met groot potte sop/bredie ens. Die veilige warm hou temperature, verkieslik nie vir langer as 2 ure, is 65 – 75°C. Onder 60°C is moeilikheid soek.
Research has shown us one of the leading causes of food borne illness is failing to properly cool foods. The Temperature Danger Zone (40ºF to 140ºF) is where pathogens grow most quickly. Think how hot a fresh pot of soup is once you have finished cooking it. It can take a long time to cool food safely through the Temperature Danger Zone when cooling a large pot of soup, chili, stew or sauce. The soup must cool from 140ºF to 70ºF in two hours and from 70ºF to 40ºF in no more than four hours, this is called the two-stage cooling method. In order to do this, it is important to have a food thermometer to measure the temperature of the food as it cools.
The best ways to cool food are:
Use an ice water bath
An ice water bath helps decrease the food temperature quickly and safely.
Fill a large container or clean sink with ice and just a small amount of water.
Place your kettle of soup, chili, stew or sauce into the ice bath.
Stir the soup, chili, stew or sauce to speed the cooling process.
Use shallow pans
The smaller the portions, the faster the food will cool.
Divide your large batch into smaller containers, no deeper than 3 inches.
Stir occasionally to speed the cooling process.
Use ice in the recipe
Reduce the cooling time by substituting water for ice, adapt your recipe accordingly.
Prepare a thicker recipe; reduce the original amount of water called for in the recipe.
Add ice as the final step in the recipe.
Ingedien: Petro Borchard
Foto: Alta Gunter Van Dyk
