Topic

Hygiene in the kitchen

From the sixth month of life on, it is necessary to start complementary feeding (which complements breast milk). At this point, it is very important to take care of water quality, hand washing, cleaning utensils and surfaces where food will be prepared, the hygiene of food, and ensuring its proper storage and conservation to avoid contamination and diseases such as diarrhea.

These precautions will be presented below, taken from the new Food Guide for Children Under two years old, from the Ministry of Health (2019):

  • Water suitable for consumption must be clean, without unpleasant taste, odor, or color. To ensure water quality, it is important to regularly clean water tanks, cisterns, filters, or other reservoirs that store water at home. Water supplied by the public supply network is generally adequate after being filtered. In places where there is no water treatment, it must be filtered and treated with a 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution (mix two drops of the solution for each liter of water and wait 30 minutes) or according to the manufacturer's instructions on the label. Ideally, water treated with hypochlorite should be used on the same day or, at most, the next day. In the absence of hypochlorite, it is necessary to filter and boil the water for 5 minutes before using it. Count the 5 minutes after the first boiling bubbles appear. This water will be used to prepare food. If the food to be prepared is boiled, it is enough for the water to be filtered.
  • Whoever prepares the food should always wash their hands well with soap and water, rinse, and wipe with a clean towel or paper towel. Don't forget to also wash your children's hands before eating.
  • The forearms should also be washed well.
  • Utensils and surfaces that will come into contact with food must be very clean (stove, countertop, table, sink, silverware, plates, platters, etc.). Dishcloths and dish towels can be sources of contamination. Don't use them when they already look like they've been used a lot. After use, keep them dry and change them once a week. Try to dry the dishes naturally, without using a dishtowel.
  • As for food hygiene, greater attention should be given to what is consumed raw and with skin, such as fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to eliminate, in addition to the small animals, the microscopic germs that we cannot see. Remember: sanitizing is not just washing. So, to clean these foods well: 
    • Discard the damaged leaves and parts.
    • Wash them in treated running water, one by one, sheet by sheet, to remove dirt.
    • Leave them in a basin covered with chlorinated solution* (see details below) for between 10 and 15 minutes. Then, rinse them one by one in running water suitable for consumption.

Important: clean water and vinegar are not enough to eliminate microorganisms, and detergent should not be used for this purpose. 

  • Keep food refrigerated until ready to serve.

  Use bleach, sodium hypochlorite, or products made to disinfect food. Depending on the concentration of the product you buy, the method of preparation changes:

  • Bleach: The only type of bleach that can be used to sanitize food is the one that comes only with water and sodium hypochlorite (in a concentration that can vary from 1.0 to 2.5%). Do not use brands that contain bleach or perfume). Read the label to identify the proper product.
  • Sodium hypochlorite: sodium hypochlorite is found in concentrations of 1.0% to 2.5% in 1-liter bottles.

 

Method of preparation:

  • Bleach with 1.0% sodium hypochlorite or 1.0% sodium hypochlorite: 2 tablespoons of the product for every liter of water suitable for consumption.
  • Bleach with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite or 2.5% sodium hypochlorite: 1 tablespoon of the product for every liter of water suitable for consumption.

There is liquid or tablet products intended to sanitize food for sale in markets. To use them, follow the instructions on the package label.

Attention: Never buy products that do not have a label, as they may contain unknown substances that are harmful to your health.

  • After cleaning, food can be stored. The leaves, after drying, should be stored in pots to keep them fresh for longer.
  • Leftovers are the uneaten foods that remain in the utensils (pots, dishes, or pots) in which they were served. They must be kept in the refrigerator. Food should not be allowed to cool before storing it in the refrigerator. If there is no refrigerator, the meal should be prepared as close as possible to the time it will be offered.

Leftovers are food left on the plate. Even if they have not been touched by the child, they should not be offered to him again at another meal. So be careful with excesses to avoid waste.

  • The whole family, especially children, should not always open the refrigerator. Make sure it is always closed and that the door has good sealing conditions.
  • If the family does not have a refrigerator or does not have adequate temperature conditions, the child's food should be prepared close to the time of each meal.

The Most High gave men science so that they might honor him for his wonders. Eclo 38, 6

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