
Kontaminasi Pangan
Kontaminasi bisa terjadi saat bahan pangan masih di lahan pertanian hingga siap disantap di meja hidang. Keamanan pangan belakangan makin menjadi perbincangan hangat di Indonesia. Terlebih, setelah tujuh produk impor asal Cina terbukti mengandung bahan yang membahayakan kesehatan. Amankah penganan yang masuk ke perut Anda?
Konsumen sebetulnya sudah dilindungi oleh aturan-aturan tentang keamanan pangan. Namun, produsen yang bandel tetap saja ada. Di lain pihak, produk resmi dari pabrikan yang telah punya nama besar sekalipun juga belum tentu terbebas dari risiko kontaminasi pangan yang terjadi secara tak disengaja. Bahan-bahan yang mungkin mengontaminasi makanan hasil olahan pabrik sangat beragam.
Mulai dari kontaminan yang berasal dari bahan kimia hingga mikroorganisme. ''Intinya, kontaminan merupakan zat apapun yang tak seharusnya tercampur dengan bahan makanan,'' jelas Deputi Bidang Pengawasan Keamanan Pangan dan Bahan Berbahaya, Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM), Prof Dr Ir Dedi Ferdiaz MSc.
Kontaminan dapat mencemari makanan sejak masih berupa bahan pangan. Bahkan, pencemaran bisa saja terjadi ketika bahan pangan belum dipanen. ''Kontaminasi mungkin berlangsung saat di pertanian sampai di meja hidang,'' imbuh Dedi. Di Indonesia, salah satu kontaminan yang paling berpotensi mencemari bahan pangan adalah aflatoxin. Kondisi lingkungan yang beriklim panas dan lembab menyebabkan Aspergillus flavus dan Aspergillus paraciticus tumbuh subur dan menyebar ke tanaman pakan sapi perah. ''Alhasil, susu sapi yang dikonsumsi pun telah tersusupi karsinogen yang merupakan pemicu kanker,'' ungkap Dedi.
Kontaminan juga dapat menyusup saat proses produksi, pengepakan, dan transportasi berlangsung. Karena itu, untuk menghasilkan produk yang aman, produsen dituntut menjalankan proses produksi yang baik, yang berujung pada Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan. ''Sedapat mungkin, celah kemungkinan kontaminasi ditutup,'' kata Dedi.
Manajemen keamanan pangan tersebut sedikit banyak dapat diterapkan pada makanan hasil olahan dapur. Karenanya, penyimpanan, penggunaan, dan pembuangan bahan makanan mesti diperhatikan. Dengan begitu, kita dapat memastikan aman tidaknya makanan yang disajikan untuk keluarga. Celah bagi kontaminan untuk menyusup ke makanan segar bisa terjadi kapan saja. Ketika kita sedang menyiapkan makanan di dapur ataupun saat makanan dihidangkan di meja makan,kontaminasi bisa terjadi.
''Wadah masak bermutu jelek, misalnya, dapat memicu migrasi bahan kimia atau logam berat ke dalam bahan pangan dan akhirnya sampai ke tubuh manusia,'' urai Dedi, pemakalah pada Quality, Safety, and Service Seminar yang digelar Shell Lubricants, akhir Juli (26/7) silam. Saat menyiapkan makanan, mereka yang memasak hendaknya memerhatikan kebersihan semua permukaan yang kontak dengan makanan. Ketika menyimpan, jangan lupakan kedap tidaknya tutup kemasan makanan. ''Pilih yang bahannya tidak mudah dilengketi sisa makanan,'' Dedi berbagi tips.
Olahan pabrik
Keamanan pangan merupakan isu besar bagi masyarakat. Produk yang nikmat dan berkemasan menarik tak akan ada nilainya jika sudah dinyatakan tidak aman bagi kesehatan. ''Itu sebabnya produsen harus menjaga kualitas produknya,'' cetus Ketua Gabungan Pengusaha Makanan dan Minuman Indonesia (GAPPMI), Ir Thomas Darmawan Tjokronegoro.
Kontaminasi pada makanan hasil olahan pabrik dapat terjadi karena banyak hal. Bahan mentah berkualitas rendah yang ditangani dengan sembarangan, proses pengolahan yang tak mengedepankan sanitasi, pemilihan kemasan yang kurang bermutu, serta pengendalian suhu simpan yang asal-asalan dapat mencoreng status keamanan suatu produk. ''Jika sudah demikian, produsen bisa gulung tikar ditinggalkan konsumen,'' ujar Thomas yang juga menjabat sebagai wakil ketua Dewan Riset Nasional (DRN).
Saat keamanan pangan tak menjadi prioritas produsen, kesehatan bahkan nyawa konsumen pun terancam. Lalu, apa yang bisa kita lakukan untuk mendapatkan produk yang berkualitas? Jaringan pemasar besar semata tak bisa dijadikan jaminan ketika ingin memperoleh makanan berkualitas. ''Untuk itu, konsumen mesti cerdik melihat label pada kemasan dan menetapkan pilihannya pada hasil produksi pabrikan besar yang pastinya takut rugi jika melepas produk berbahaya ke pasar,'' Thomas menandaskan. ***
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source: artikel Republika
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Espresso Coffee Maker
The espresso coffee maker is a unique coffee-making machine. It specializes in serving just the perfect cup of rich, creamy and frothy Italian coffee drink named espresso that is just so irresistible! The brewing technique implemented to make espresso coffee is very exclusive. In this particular brewing method you are forcing hot water through finely ground coffee at a high pressure to make the coffee.
So as to force the water through the fine-ground coffee, the espresso coffee maker utilizes pressure that comes from heating water inside a sealed vessel. The pressure can be generated by a pressure pump or by steam. Pressure pump fitted espresso machines are the best as they generate more consistent pressure at the optimal brewing temperature.
Most commercial espresso machines are pump driven while the majority of the home espresso makers are steam driven. An espresso coffee maker brews your espresso quick and fast. It is convenient and simple to operate. Making espressos at home could never get easier than this. If you are a true espresso fanatic then you just can't ignore this smart looking coffee making gadget!
The most important part of the espresso coffee maker is the pressure pump. The coffee liquid is subjected to optimum levels of pressure in a short time. The water that is passed under high pressure through the freshly ground coffee should be just below the boiling point. As a result the maximum flavor and aroma is distilled out into your coffee.
The coffee brewing principle used to make espresso coffee in the espresso coffee maker is ideal to make less caffeinated espresso coffee. The high pressure applied in the process actually sucks out bitter oils and discharges far less caffeine than the other brewing processes. So espresso coffee is much healthier than other types of brewed coffee. Forget all those caffeine blues when you are sipping into your creamy espresso! The capacity of the pressure pump device fitted in the espresso coffee maker is expressed in 'bars'. A bar is equivalent to kg/square centimeter. A good pump can withstand pressures up to 15 bars or more. So it is essential for you to check these configurations before buying an espresso machine.
You must consider one very important aspect about enjoying a perfect cup of espresso. The creamy froth layer that forms at the top must stay as it is for a considerable period of time. So a pressure of around 7-9 bars must be passed through the coffee in the espresso coffee maker. Otherwise the froth will vanish as soon as it is formed making your espresso not worth a sip!
You can select from a wide range of impressive espresso coffee maker machines available in the market to suit your needs. These coffee making gadgets are offered at competitive prices in a variety of models. The espresso coffee makers are standard household appliances in most American homes! You can buy a good quality standard espresso coffee maker without having to burn a hole in your pockets. A variety of low budget (less than $100) compact espresso machines are available. Some of the top low price espresso models are:
* Krups Caffe Duomo Espresso Machine
* Melitta MEX2B Espresso Coffeemaker
* DeLonghi Caffe Nabucco
* Krups Allegro Espresso maker
* Mr. Coffee Espresso machine
* Stove Top Espresso makers
However, for a more advance and superior quality espresso coffee maker you will have to shell out somewhere between $500-$1000. Some top brands in this price range are:
* Gaggia Syncrony Compact Espresso Machine
* Delonghi Magnifica Automatic Espresso Machine
* La Pavoni espresso machine
* Krups Orchestro Dialog 2-cup Espresso Machine
* Saeco Charisma Automatic Espresso Machine
* Francis Francis! X5 Espresso machine
Espresso coffee maker machines that are installed in coffee shops, coffee bars and restaurants are huge and much more elaborate than the home espresso machines. Commercial espresso machines require a higher level of operating skill and a more thorough knowledge of espresso making. A skilled barista is sure to create magic with any type of espresso device! ***
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by Randy Wilson
Randy has more articles on coffee and coffee beans at The Ultimate Coffee Information Website such as Do Coffee Enemas Work?.
Cheesecake Can It Be Frozen
Yes cheesecake can be frozen and it freezes very well, if you are having a party next week and you won't have time to prepare your cheesecake at that time, as I'm sure you won't, you can bake your cheesecake a week or so in advance and freeze it, but you must package it properly, but not by wrapping it with tin foil as many people do.
Tin foil is a metal and will cause freezer burn, what you need to do is place your cheesecake in a freezer for 4 to 5 hours just to get it really cold, remove it and wrap it with a plastic film wrap and place it in a freezer bag, try to get all the air from the bag. Now place the wrapped cheesecake back to the freezer and let it alone until you need it.
The day of your party take your cheesecake from the freezer and unwrap it, place it in a container that fits it well and place it in your refrigerator until you are ready to use it ,it only takes a few hours to thaw out. By freezing your cheesecake you have so much more time to devote to other things for your party, do you need a good recipe for a real gourmet cheesecake then go to. ***
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by Andrew Krause
About the author: Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com
NOTE You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end), Please send a copy of your reprint to pastrie@verizon.net
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