Nothing ruins a dinner party faster than an outbreak of food-borne illness. Obviously no one sets out to poison their guests, but it's easy to do by accident if you don't know the proper handling procedures for meat preparation. So whether your goal is to start a business to do Catering Services in Toronto or simply to cook dinner for a few friends, proper guidelines for preparing meat are something everyone should know. This guide will give you the basic steps for handling and preparing popular kinds of meat.

Beef

Beef, especially ground beef, has the potential to come into contact with bacteria like E.Coli during the butchering process. To make sure it never gets into your body, make sure to keep beef and beef juices away from other foods and to clean countertops and utensils thoroughly after they have been used on beef. Thaw in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Ground beef should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 71 Celsius, which you can measure on a food thermometer. Slab beef need only reach 71 on the outside. No pink should remain.

Poultry

Poultry, such as chicken or turkey, has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella bacteria in its raw form. Store your poultry away from other foods and do not allow it or its juices to get into anything else. Thaw in the fridge and have your personal chef in Toronto use it within 2 days. Wash hands and food preparation surfaces thoroughly after preparing poultry and cook to an internal temperature of 85 degrees Celsius. Poultry is done when the meat is no longer pink and the juices are clear.

Pork

So much emphasis is placed on poultry and beef safety that pork safety is often overlooked. However, pork can be contaminated with bacteria or the trichina parasite. That's why Catering Kitchener always makes sure their pork does not cross contaminate other foods and that their utensils, surfaces, and hands are thoroughly cleaned. To kill bacteria and trichnia, cook your pork to an internal temperature of at least 71 degrees Celsius, which corresponds to medium doneness.

Eggs

Many people forget that eggs are part of the meat family when the food media tells them eggs are great for their health and end up becoming ill. Salmonella contamination is possible with eggs, so make sure your eggs are intact and refrigerated before cooking. Wash your hands and surfaces thoroughly and make sure not to leave raw or cooked eggs at room temperature for more than two hours, this includes egg products such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, and cookie dough. Cook eggs to at least 74 degrees Celsius and eat within 3 or 4 days.