Food Safety Guidelines to Keep Your Family Safe in Dubai | ExpatWoman.com
 

Food Safety Guidelines to Keep Your Family Safe in Dubai

Reducing the risks of food poisoning and keeping your family and loved ones safe is simple.

Posted on

3 May 2018

Last updated on 19 January 2020
Food Safety Guidelines to Keep Your Family Safe in Dubai

There are several important factors to consider in order to ensure the overall safety of your food in Dubai. Boecker® brings to you a quick “guide” to follow step-by-step, starting from your grocery shopping and ending with leftovers

Purchasing

  • When at the supermarket, frozen and chilled items should be purchased last. Always start with dry food.
  • Look for production, expiry dates and use buy dates.

Storing

  • Clean refrigerators and freezers before stocking the food.
  • Domestic fridges and refrigerators are not designed to handle a big overload of food. Make sure that there is enough space for cold air to circulate.
  • Chilled items should be maintained between 1 - 4 ºC and frozen items below -18 ºC.
  • Avoid cross contamination by segregating food properly inside refrigerators and freezers. High risk food should be properly covered.

SEE ALSO: How to Keep Your Kitchen and Your Home Pest Free in Dubai

Thawing

  • Allow sufficient time to defrost frozen food depending on their size.
  • Defrost should not be done on the kitchen counter; either inside the refrigerator or in the microwave.

Washing and Disinfecting

  • Wash and disinfect fruits and vegetables; it will help removing bacteria.
  • Remove soil, especially in leafy vegetables, where most of the bacteria live.
  • Wash vegetables under potable water and rub them.
  • Check water quality prior to use; water filters and disinfectants can be used to treat contaminated water inside tanks.

Preparation

  • Avoid keeping cooked food at room temperature more than two hours.
  • Prepare food as close as possible to dinner time.
  • Wash your hands properly before preparing food and after handling raw food.
  • Use separate cutting boards and utensils and clean them thoroughly to avoid cross contamination between raw and cooked food.
  • Do not wash raw chicken or turkey meat before cooking, it will splash harmful bacteria around the kitchen.

SEE ALSO: Here's How You Can Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Dubai

Cooking

  • Cook thoroughly, above 75 °C, minced meat, poultry, and other food… to avoid survival of food poisoning bacteria.
  • Do not use raw eggs in food unless they are going to be cooked.

Serving and Leftovers

  • Always serve food hot and keep them above 63 ºC.
  • Refrigerate or freeze leftovers quickly after storing them in suitable containers.
  • Avoid reheating food for more than one time; reheating temperature should reach 75 ºC.

With a little extra time and a little ‘know-how’ you can keep food poisoning away from your loved ones.

 
 

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