It’s not always just a tummy upset when good food goes bad. It can be fatal.

Our senses can cue us to trouble. Certainly meat that isn’t the right colour or your nose picks up the not so fresh smell of meat that has been packaged for too long. Even the wrinkles on fruit or the soft moulding rind are clear indicators the food has spoiled.

Because what we eat has life, meat, fruits and vegetables, they need to be healthy when we eat them.  The further from life, the closer to decomposition. The closer to decomposition, the more likelihood of risk. Our noses pick up decomposition most easily so we need to trust what we smell.

Good health is related to good life. Bad smells are evidence of bacteria present and that is both bad and unhealthy.

Storing foods properly keeps the decomposition process from happening quickly. Cooking food doesn’t necessarily eliminate bacteria. Trust your senses. And this applies to shelved foods, dry goods anything edible.

Food safety in the home is pretty straight forward. In today’s society, we spend a good deal of our time away from our own tables. Travels include hotels stays and meals prepared on site. Disposable incomes mean dinners out at cafes and restaurants. Supermarkets make it easy to quickly pick up perishable foods day or night.

Industrial and commercial food preparation and storage is big business. But how do you know your food is safe when you pick it up at the supermarket or order it in a restaurant.

The health department has a system of inspections for restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and any place that handles food.

How they store and prep their food has a direct impact on how that food affects you.

The importance of refrigeration is evident. It slows bacterial growth and bacteria exist everywhere. Soil, water, air, foods we eat, they are all breeding grounds for bacteria. When bacteria have access to moisture and favourable temperatures they can grow rapidly.

Larger numbers mean a greater risk of illness. Because bacteria grow most rapidly between 40-140 degrees Farenheit, keeping foods colder means slowing the growth and protecting the food.

A refrigerator set at 40 degrees Farenheit helps reduce bacteria growth and still maintains the taste, smell, texture and appearance of food.

For safety, it is vital to verify the refrigerator’s temperature. They should be set to 40 degrees farenhheit or below.

The need for cooling units in supermarkets, large warehouse and hotels and restaurants where indoor space is at a premium but safety is a priorty is evident.

Industrial Refrigeration needs must be met with efficiency, environmental awareness, and safety.

Food going bad has negative repercussions across the industry. Food safety relies on the expertise, quality and maintenance of industrial refrigeration.

Understanding the use of refrigeration and the handling of food both within the home and in commerical and industrial environments is imperative. In Part Five of Food Safety we’ll examine the basics of food safety in the home and how those basics apply to more than just food in the Industrial Refrigeration sector.