Proper preparation of food, particularly the food to be eaten raw, reduces hazards to health. Food preparation includes the processes such as thawing, washing and cutting. Do you prepare food, especially frozen food, in the correct way?

	1. How do you defrost frozen food?
	Cover the frozen food properly and leave it at room temperature. Put it under running water. Cover properly and keep it at the lower compartment of the refrigerator for a day. Defrost with a microwave oven, stir or turn over to facilitate even defrosting.
	What should you do if you have defrosted more food than is needed?
	Put the defrosted food back to the freezer. Wrap properly and keep the defrosted food at the lower compartment of the refrigerator for cooking and consumption within 2 days. Cook the excess food thoroughly and keep it in the refrigerator for consumption within 2 days.
	How do you prepare vegetables before consumption?
	(i) Remove the outermost layer of leaves. (ii) Wash the vegetables with clean water several times. (iii) Immerse the vegetables in clean water for about an hour. (ii) only (i) & (ii) (ii) & (iii) (i), (ii) & (iii)
	How do you prepare shellfish, particularly the bivalves?
	(i) Scrub and wash with clean water. (ii) Put them in clean water for half a day. (iii) Remove the intestines from the shellfish. (i) only (i) & (ii) (i) & (iii) (i), (ii) & (iii)

Have you done correctly? Let's go through all the main points:

1. Refrigerator and running water can be used to defrost frozen food. If the refrigerator is used, frozen food should be kept in the refrigerator for one day to allow gradual defrosting in a low temperature environment. If tap water is chosen, water should be changed regularly or kept running. If the frozen food has to be cooked immediately, microwave oven can be used for quick defrosting. When using a microwave oven, the food may have to be taken out for repeated stirring or turning over to facilitate even defrosting. Food must be cooked immediately after defrosting to prevent bacterial growth.
   
   
2. Do not put defrosted food back to the freezer. Wrap it properly and keep it in the refrigerator for consumption within 2 days. Cook the excess food thoroughly before refrigeration is also an acceptable way in handling defrosted food. In fact, we should only defrost the exact amount for each meal.
   
   
3. When preparing vegetables, we should:
   
   
   • Remove the outermost layer, which is usually the dirtiest part, to prevent contaminating the whole vegetable.
     
   • Wash with clean water for several times; it is the best way to remove pesticide residues, dirt and bacteria.
     
   • Immerse in clean water for about an hour to dissolve any pesticide residues, if present, as they are mostly soluble in water.
     
     
4. Shellfish, particularly the bivalves, should be prepared in the following way:
   
   
   • Scrub and wash with clean water to remove dirt from the outer shell.
     
   • Put them in clean water for half a day to reduce sands and micro-organisms in a controlled aquatic environment.
     
   • Remove the intestines, the dirtiest part in shellfish, to minimize food hazards regardless of whether the shellfish has to be cooked or to be eaten raw.