World Food Safety Day is observed on June 7 every year. The day has become an important global event, bringing focus to the significance of food safety regulations at all levels.
Food is one of our basic necessities. It is the fuel that nourishes our bodies and provides the energy and nutrients necessary for growth, vitality, and overall well-being. While good food can help us stay healthy, food that is contaminated, expired or not stored properly, can lead to various health hazards.
What causes foodborne Illness?
Foodborne illness is caused by consuming contaminated foods or beverages. Many different disease-causing microbes or pathogens can contaminate foods, so there are many different types of foodborne illnesses.
Most foodborne diseases are infections caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites. Other diseases are poisonings caused by harmful toxins or chemicals that have contaminated food.
Of note, many foodborne pathogens can be acquired through recreational or drinking water, from contact with animals or their environment, or through person-to-person spread.
Below are a few tips to ensure food safety at home.
Wash your hands
Personal hygiene is an excellent starting point to reduce or even eliminate the risk of food poisoning. A simple thing such as washing your hands can save you and others from an embarrassing spell of diarrhoea and discomfort caused by food poisoning.
Your hands are out there, continually touching, scratching, rubbing, and picking up. They carry germs and cross-contaminate.
Using water and soap will remove physical dirt as well as most of the germs. It is important to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Keep raw food separate from cooked food
Do not use a plate that has potentially touched or has been contaminated by raw meat, poultry, or seafood for anything else unless you first wash the plate in hot, soapy water.
Keep utensils and surfaces clean. Do not use the same utensil to place raw meats on a grill, then remove the cooked meats as this may introduce cross-contamination.
It is recommended to wash utensils that have touched raw meats if they must also be used to handle cooked meats.
Use food before it expires
There is a common belief that as long as there are no apparent signs of spoilage, expired foods are fine to eat. That is not necessarily the case.
Often pathogens will grow to dangerous levels even if we cannot see, smell, or taste them. It is safest not to use food after the printed date has passed.
Foods are at higher risk of going rancid or spoiling. No amount of cooking or other food preparation techniques can guarantee the food will be safe.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly
Scrub and rinse all fruits and vegetables well before eating or cooking with them. While there, also wash all cutting boards, knives, and other cooking utensils between the preparations of different foods.
This helps prevent cross-contamination of foods that may have different cooking temperatures.
Store or refrigerate promptly
The chance of bacterial growth in many foods is high and hence they should be quickly refrigerated. Store foods that tend to spoil quickly (milk, meats, etc).
Store vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods in separate containers and on different shelves in the refrigerator.