Are you a fan of food delivery apps? Do you often crave for restaurant food but hate to go out? Then ordering in food might be your go-to solution. Take-aways and food deliveries are habits that became so common during the pandemic-induced lockdown. Moreover, it is the saviour of those who struggle with a kitchen knife and chopping board.
But with recent reports of fatal food poisoning cases, often from home-delived food, being reported across Kerala, you need to ensure the safety and quality of the parcels before consuming them.
Here are some of the factors to keep in mind while buying food parcels:
• The parcelled food shouldn’t be kept in the packet for more than one hour.
• Make sure to buy small quantities of food that is required for a single meal to avoid leftovers.
• Cold food items like mayonnaise, ketchup and chutney that are provided as side dishes with Arabic dishes like Al-faham, Kuzhimanthi or Shawai should be kept away from the hot food.
• Avoid reheating food more than once.
• Do not refrigerate mayonnaise or ketchup in order to reuse them. Dishes like mayonnaise would get infected with bacteria pretty easily. So, it is better to consume these dishes within one hour of packing.
• Avoid eating food items that were kept open.
• Do not eat a food item if you think there is change in its taste, colour or smell. The food safety department could be alerted.
Meanwhile, the hotel owners too need to be careful while packing and delivering food parcels:
• The date on which the food was cooked and the ‘use by’ time should be printed on the food packets.
• The food should be packed only in food grade containers and packets.
• Food should be packed carefully to ensure that there is no cross contamination.
• Make sure that the workers wear gloves, mask and head cap. The cooks or chefs should wear aprons and head cap.
• The food shouldn’t be touched with bare hands once it is cooked.
• The kitchen should be cleaned before and after cooking.
• Those who have any health conditions or illness shouldn’t enter the kitchen.
• The workers should secure health certificates every six months.
• Clean water should be used for cooking.
• The water that is used in the kitchen should be tested at approved labs to ensure its safety every six months.