#Health: 7 tips from the #AFSCA for a safe dinner during a #heat wave
Summer is the time of year when everyone tries to enjoy the outdoors and the activities that come with it. One of these activities is to enjoy a good meal outdoors. However, this summer medal has a downside: the high temperatures are favorable to the development of all kinds of micro-organisms such as bacteria. Other unwanted guests, such as insects, also benefit from a good meal. To prevent your dinner from ending in an unpleasant way, we give you some tips below to make it safe: from shopping to consuming leftovers.
Safe and efficient handling of your purchases
* Tip #1: Use an insulated bag when shopping for food
Considering food safety starts when preparing for your visit to the store. In hot weather, bring a cooler bag, preferably with a cooling element, for produce that needs to be kept cool.
* Tip n°2: respect a precise purchase order: from dry to fresh
When shopping, go first to the non-refrigerated and dry food sections, then choose fresh fruits and vegetables, then meat, fish or their alternatives. Finally, buy your frozen products last and put all the refrigerated products in the cooler. So all your food stays fresh. It is best not to put fruits and vegetables with meat and fish to avoid cross contamination. For the same reason, meat should be placed in a separate shopping bag.
The conversation
* Tip #3: Keep every type of food product at the right temperature in the fridge
After shopping, take the shortest route home and protect your supplies from the sun as it can also be very hot in the car. Be careful not to interrupt the cold chain, especially in hot weather. This means that you must always keep your food cold. When you get home, immediately put away your groceries, place chilled items in the fridge or frozen items in the freezer.
Did you know that the ideal temperature for your refrigerator is between 1° and 4°C? That of your freezer must be below -18°C.
Below is an overview of the temperatures for each type of food product and where in your fridge you can best store it. The temperature of the refrigerator is not the same everywhere: generally, the coldest area of your refrigerator is at the bottom, just above the vegetable drawers. Please note: not all refrigerators work the same way, a thermometer can help you read the right temperature. The desired storage temperature is also mentioned on the packaging of the products, so be sure to check it.
-18° Frozen products (freezer)
+5° Eggs
+4° Dairy products, butter, cheese, poultry
+3° Cooked meals, fresh pastries, charcuterie
+2° Minced meat
0 to +2° Fish, molluscs and crustaceans
+7 to 8° Fruits and vegetables (bin)
* Tip 4: keep your food or leftovers in the fridge in closed boxes
In this way, you prevent raw food and ready meals from coming into contact with each other. Why is this so important? Raw foods (vegetables, fruits and certainly meat and fish) can contain bacteria. During storage, these bacteria can be transferred to other foods in your refrigerator. Proper sealing of the packaging prevents this.
The preparation
* Tip #5: some dishes can be prepared in advance, others must be taken out of the fridge just before being served
A dinner party obviously requires some prep work. Side dishes, in particular, like to be prepared in advance. If you prepare salads, pasta, meat preparations, desserts, etc. in advance, put them in the refrigerator immediately. In this way, the bacteria have no chance to grow beforehand.
It is also important to separate raw meat, raw chicken and raw fish. For raw products, use different knives, forks and cutting boards, or clean them well after each use.
Meat and fish cooked a la minute on the barbecue will be taken out of the refrigerator just before being grilled.
A table !
* Tip n°6: reload your dishes as you go instead of serving everything at the same time
Of course, you want to show off all the good things you’ve prepared for your guests. But beware, hot temperatures, bacteria, insects or other critters could soon ruin your cooking performance. A cold buffet should therefore preferably be replenished several times rather than having everything on the table at the same time.
* Tip #7: What about leftovers?
A dinner in summer is above all about having a good time and being together. You often stay at the table all afternoon, but what do you do with the food on the table during that time?
It is best not to leave the dishes on the table at room temperature for more than two hours. It is even warmer outside, so it is advisable to collect leftovers immediately after the meal and put them in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Our mission is to ensure that all actors in the chain provide consumers and each other with optimum assurance that the food, animals, plants and products they consume, use or hold are reliable, safe and protected, now and in the future.
