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Safe Food Handling Tips for Farmers’ Market Managers, Leaders and Vendors
STEP 4. Chill
Keep cold foods cold! This will reduce the risk of foodborne illness because cold temperatures slow down the growth of bacteria.
It is especially important to keep high risk food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products (including product samples) cold. Never store them at room temperature.
In the refrigerator or cooler: keep food at 4°C (40°F) or colder.
In the freezer: keep food at -18°C (0°F) or colder.
Tips for keeping food cold :
- Refrigerate all high risk foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products within two hours of purchase or preparation.
- Refrigerate fresh fruits and vegetables within two hours of peeling or cutting.
- Store eggs in the main body of the refrigerator, rather than the fridge door. For display purposes, use only the empty egg cartons.
- If using a cooler, include ice, dry ice or frozen gel packs. Ice should be from a safe drinking water source.
- Use thermometers in refrigerators and coolers to check that they stay cold enough.
- Do not over-pack the fridge or cooler. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
- Use sunshades or umbrellas to protect food from the sun
Tips for cooling down hot food :
- Transfer hot food to small, shallow containers before refrigeration. This helps food cool quickly in the fridge.
- To speed up the cooling process for large pots of food, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir occasionally. Cover and refrigerate within 30 minutes, once cooled.
Defrosting Tips
Safe ways to defrost food :
- Defrost food in the fridge. Place the food on a lower shelf in a container and allow 10 hours per kilogram to thaw.
- Defrost food under cold running water.
- Defrost food in the microwave. Cook it immediately after thawing.
Never defrost food on the kitchen counter. The outer layers of food will defrost first, before the inside thaws. Bacteria can grow in these conditions.
Tips for transporting food
If transporting food from one location to another, such as from the farm to the market, do it quickly and directly, maintain safe temperatures and prevent contamination.
- Cover the food tightly in clean food containers or single-use food bags, wraps or foil.
- If you are transporting hot food, put the covered food in an insulated thermal container or wrap it in foil and cover with heavy towels. Include a thermometer to check that the food stays at 60°C (140°F) or hotter.
- If you are transporting cold or cooling food, put the covered food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Include a thermometer to check that the food stays at 4°C (40°F) or colder.
- Keep cold foods in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to go.
- In summer, put the ice-filled cooler inside the car rather than in the hot trunk.
- Separate raw meats from ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination.
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