Food management requires a lot of thought and care devoted to safety and cleanliness. While cleaning products and solutions can help, knowledge is still your most powerful asset. To help with that, we have collected some of our most frequently asked questions and their answers.

What are the five essential food safety measures?

Food safety solutions fall into five categories, and when you consider all five, you can maximize food safety.

1. Keep food storage and preparation spaces clean. Clean them regularly and thoroughly, including disinfection processes.
2. Separate raw and cooked foods. If they go in the same refrigerator, store cooked foods above raw foods to prevent dripping contamination.
3. Cook foods thoroughly. Follow food code and FDA recommendations to use cooking to eliminate food-borne illnesses.
4. Hold foods at safe temperatures. Keep foods below 40℉ or above 135℉ to minimize microbial growth.
5. Use safe materials. Only use clean, food-safe water and safe raw materials for cooking and handling.

What are floral preservatives?

Many aspects of produce come from floral parts of plants. A floral preservative can help keep flowers or floral foods healthy and safe. Floral preservatives use three components to protect flora. A carbohydrate element can nourish the flower to keep it healthy. A biocide holds back fungi and bacteria. An acidifier lowers the pH of the water for better flower health.

How do you clean and disinfect produce?

Most produce can be cleaned properly with a rinse. Rinse the food under running water and rub or scrub it with your hands to remove all dirt and foreign elements.

In some cases, you might want to use an antimicrobial wash for produce. These washes are designed specifically for produce and are food safe. They kill microbes and reduce additional microbial growth. Most washes do not require an additional rinse once applied.

To use an antimicrobial wash, follow the instructions. Typically, you will rinse the produce. Once done, soak the produce in the wash for the recommended time (often around 90 seconds). The food is then safe for preparation or consumption.

How do you keep produce fresh for longer?

There are many fresh solutions for produce, but many of them depend on the produce. For example, potatoes should be stored in a dark, dry place. Meanwhile, strawberries last longer when you keep them in the refrigerator.

With that in mind, a handful of tips can help you think about produce freshness:

• Store appropriately for the type of produce.
• Wait to wash. Introducing more water to the produce can accelerate microbial growth.
• Minimize excess moisture.
• Keep your storage area clean. Scrub it and disinfect it regularly to prevent the buildup of spores or bacteria.
• Freeze when necessary.
• Use produce according to freshness. When firm items start to soften them, use them quickly before they lose all of their freshness. The principle of first in first out can help you avoid spoiled produce.
• Sort before storage. Go through your batch of produce to remove anything with early signs of mold, rot, or spoil to prevent them from turning the rest of the batch faster.