Why Food Safety Is ImportantFood safety and a healthy life are two co-dependent phrases ! It is extremely risky to consume food that is not guarded by preventive measures. If hygiene is not followed even while growing, harvesting, processing, cooking and storing food, it can be detrimental for health. In USA, every year,48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne illness, as per the data showed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contaminated food, apart from food poisoning, can even lead to life-taking medical conditions. 1. If your eatables get contaminated by bacteria like Salmonella , it can cause two kinds of foodborne illness- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever, with symptoms generally lasting a couple of days and tapering off within a week. Raw foods like fruits and vegetables , nuts and raw meat poultry are likely to be contaminated by Salmonella. 2. Enteric fever high fever, food poisoning -- diarrhea or constipation, aches, headache, and drowsiness. l Enteric fever includes typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever. 3. The US FDA has identified that a bacteria called Campylobacter has caused most of the foodborne illness in USA. Campylobacter can enter the body through contaminated water, unpasteurized milk or cheese, and undercooked , raw meat poultry seafood . It can cause gastrointestinal symptoms , nausea, food poisoning -- vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), cramps as well as a fever typically appear within 2 to 5 days and may last up to 10 days. In some cases, Campylobacter may spread to the bloodstream and cause a life-threatening infection. 4. The US FDA says that although foodborne Listeriosis is not common, it is one of the leading causes of death from foodborne illness . Listeria can cause two forms of disease
Campylobacter caused most foodborne illness in US: Food safety | food poisoning | foodborne illness | raw foods | raw meat | meat poultry
To prevent any foodborne illness or food poisoning, the United States Food and Drug Administration and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issues advisories from time-to-time. These advisories mainly include steps to ensure food safety in the kitchen- 1. Properly Cooking raw foods like poultry and seafood2. Food Storage 3. Hygiene 4. Avoid cross-contamination
Proper CookingCooking food at the right temperature can kill germs and bacteria causing foodborne illness. It is very difficult to say if the food is properly cooked just by seeing its color or checking its texture, especially in the case of meat poultry. The only way that can guarantee you the right internal temperature is by using a food thermometer. Considering the importance of the right internal temperature of the food for health, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has even recommended the ideal cooking temperature for meat poultry seafood .
Cooking food at right temperature can kill germs: Food thermometer | internal temperature | raw meats | keep food safe | meat poultry seafood
Food Storage
Hygiene
Handwashing is the first step to maintain hygiene: Soapy water | hot soapy water | wash hands | cutting boards
Avoid Cross Contamination
Use separate cutting boards for raw meat & greens: keep food | cutting boards | raw meats | keep food safe | use food
Conclusion Maintaining kitchen hygiene is no rocket-science. All you need to do is be a little extra attentive and careful when dealing with perishable items. Make it a habit to wash your hands the moment you enter kitchen. It will reduce the risk of cross contamination , consequently curbing food poisoning and other foodborne illness . Clean your kitchen appliances and cutting boards from time-to-time. To learn more, click on Food Safety , Supply Chain Clean your kitchen appliances regularly: wash hands | hot soapy water | cutting boards | food safety | food poisoning | soapy water
Do you know how to keep food safe at home? The easy lessons of “Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill" will help protect you and your family from foodborne illness. Foodborne illness is a serious public health threat and all of us are susceptible. Consider the numbers: Each year, approximately 48 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those cases of foodborne illness, more than 128,000 people are hospitalized and approximately 3,000 people die. That is why it is critical that people understand the dangers of foodborne bacteria. While everyone is at risk for foodborne illness, there are those that face a higher risk if they consume unsafe food. At-risk persons include the very young, older adults, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. These food safety steps are especially important for them, and the messages of the Be Food Safe campaign can be a life saver. But the last line of defense against foodborne illness is in our own kitchens. The four basic safe food handling behaviors — clean, separate, cook, and chill — will keep our food safe. Food safety risks at home are common. Learn more about each of these steps: |