Improving workplace health & safety through collaboration
Body
IS YOUR FOOD SAFE?
THE above headlines appeared during a two-week period
last year. Researchers estimate that each year about
30 percent of people in developed countries suffer from
foodborne illness.
How do such reports affect you? “I get worried and even
angry,” admits Hoi, a father in Hong Kong. “I have two children,
and I am concerned about how and where their food
is made.”
In poorer countries, foodborne and waterborne diseases
kill millions—mostly children—every year. “In the markets
here, food items are exposed to flies, rain, wind, and
dust,” says Bola, who lives in Nigeria. “When I read or
hear about food diseases, I feel scared. I want to protect my
family.”
Is it possible to protect your family from unsafe food?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency states: “If unsafe
food gets into our grocery stores, it makes headlines. And
rightly so. But unsafe food, which could lead to foodborne
illness, can also happen from what we do—or don’t do—in
our own kitchens.”
What can you do to protect your family from foodborne
illness? We will consider four ways to make your food safer.
WHO ARE
AT RISK?
Some groups of people
are particularly vulnerable to
foodborne illness, including
? Children under the age
of five
? Pregnant women
? People over the age of 70
? People with compromised
immune systems
If you or anyone eating
with you falls into one of
these categories, you should
be particularly cautious
about the food you prepare,
serve, and eat.
UNLESS you grow your own food, your
first contact with the food you eat will
likely be at a market or supermarket. When
you shop, how can you select and purchase
healthful food?
? Plan your route.
“Shop for non-perishable food first,” advises
the Food Safety Information Council in
Australia. “Leave [items from] the fridges
and freezers to the end of your shopping.”
Also, if you are buying hot food, pick it up
just before you return home.
? Favor fresh food.
Try to purchase fresh food when possible.
Ruth, a mother of two in Nigeria, says: “I usually
go to the market very early in the morning
when the food is fresher.” Elizabeth, from
Mexico, also shops at an open market. “There
I can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and
I can pick them out myself,” she says. “I always buy fresh meat slaughtered that day. If necessary, I freeze what I don’t use.”
? Inspect your food.
Ask yourself: ‘Is the skin on my produce intact?
Is the meat free of unusual odors?’ If the
food is prewrapped, inspect the packaging.
Damaged packages can allow poisonous bacteria
to enter the food.
Chung Fai, who buys food at a supermarket
in Hong Kong, says: “It is also necessary
to check the expiration date printed on packaged
food.” Why? Experts warn that even if
“expired” food looks, smells, and tastes good,
it can still make you sick.
? Pack safely.
If you use a reusable shopping bag or plastic
bin, wash it out frequently with hot soapy
water. Carry meat and fish in separate bins or
bags so they do not contaminate other food.
Enrico and Loredana, a couple in Italy,
shop locally. “That way,” they explain, “we
don’t have to transport food very far and risk
spoilage.” If it will take longer than 30 minutes
to return home, put chilled or frozen
foods into an insulated bag, or in some other
way, make sure it is kept cool.
In the next article, learn how to keep your
food safe after it enters your home.
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “I teach my children
to check the expiration date of any packaged
food items, such as snacks, before they buy
them.”—Ruth, Nigeria
JUST as a surgeon protects his patients by
washing his hands, sterilizing his instruments,
and maintaining a clean operating
room, you can protect your family by keeping
yourself, your kitchen, and your food clean.
? Wash your hands.
The Public Health Agency of Canada
states that “hands spread an estimated
80 percent of common infectious diseases
like the common cold and flu.” So wash your
hands thoroughly with soap and water before
eating, after using the toilet, and when you
prepare a meal.
? Keep your kitchen clean.
One study revealed that while the bathroom
tended to be the cleanest place in the
home, “the sites in the households that were
contaminated with the most fecal bacteria
were the sponge/dishcloths in the kitchen.”
Therefore, change dishcloths frequently,
and use hot soapy water or disinfectant to
clean kitchen surfaces. Granted, this is not
always easy. A woman named Bola lives in
a home without tap water. “It is a big challenge,”
she says. “But we never skimp on
soap and water, so they are always available
to keep our kitchen and home clean.”
? Rinse produce.
Before produce is sold, it may have been
contaminated by unclean water, animals,
fecal matter, or other raw food items. Therefore,
even if you plan to peel fruits or vegetables,
rinse them thoroughly to remove
harmful bacteria. This takes time. “When
I prepare a salad,” says Daiane, a mother in
Brazil, “I try not to rush, so that I am sure to
wash the greens thoroughly.”
? Separate raw meat.
To prevent the spread of bacteria, seal or
securely wrap all raw meat, poultry, and seafood,
and separate them from other food.
Use a separate cutting board and knife for
those foods, or wash your cutting board and
knife thoroughly with soap and hot water before
and after raw meat or seafood touches it.
Now that you, your tools, and your ingredients
are clean, how can you prepare meals
safely?
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “We teach our
children to wash their hands before eating
and to wash or discard food that has fallen
on the floor.”—Hoi, Hong Kong
FOOD CAREFULLY
ACARELESS cook in ancient Israel gathered
wild gourds, although he was “not
acquainted with them.” He added the unfamiliar
food to a stew. The eaters, who
feared that the food may have been poisoned,
cried out: “There is death in the pot.”
—2 Kings 4:38-41.
As the above example illustrates, food that
is prepared carelessly warrants caution, as it
can be harmful or even deadly. To prevent
foodborne illness, therefore, learn to prepare
and store food carefully. Consider the following
four suggestions:
? Do not thaw meat at room temperature.
“Even though the center of the [meat]
may still be frozen as it thaws on the counter,”
says the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
“the outer layer of the food could be
in the ‘Danger Zone,’ between 40 [4°C] and
140°F [60°C]—temperatures at which bacteria
multiply rapidly.” Instead, thaw food in
the refrigerator, in a microwave, or under
cold water in a package that will not leak.
? Cook thoroughly.
According to the World Health Organization,
“proper cooking kills almost all dangerous
microorganisms.” When cooking food,
especially soups and stews, make sure that
it reaches a temperature of at least 158 degrees
Fahrenheit (70°C). Since it can be
difficult to judge the internal temperature of
some dishes, many cooks use a meat thermometer.
? Serve soon.
Cooked food should not be left at room
temperature for too long, so serve it soon,
even immediately, to prevent spoilage. Keep
cold food cold and hot food hot. You can
keep hot meat in an oven set at approximately
200 degrees Fahrenheit (93°C).
? Handle extra food wisely.
Anita, a mother in Poland, serves most
meals immediately after cooking. But if there
is extra food, she says, “soon after preparation
I freeze it in small portions to make
it easy to defrost.” If you store leftovers in
the refrigerator, eat them within three to four
days.
At a restaurant, you have to trust someone
else to prepare your food. So how can you
protect your family when eating out?
Some foods, such as poultry, need to be cooked to a higher
temperature.
FOOD CAREFULLY
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “When my children
cook food, I remind them to read and follow
the instructions on the food package.”
—Yuk Ling, Hong Kong
Jeff, a healthy and energetic 38-year-old
man, took his family out to eat at a
restaurant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
U.S.A. A month later, Jeff died of acute
liver failure. The culprit? Green onions in
his meal—contaminated with hepatitis A.
ALMOST half of all money spent on food
in one Western land is spent in restaurants.
Yet, in that same land, restaurant food
is associated with about half the foodborne
disease outbreaks.
True, if you choose to eat at a restaurant,
someone else purchases the ingredients,
cleans the kitchen, and cooks the food.
Nevertheless, you can decide where you eat,
what you eat, and how you pack any food
that you take home.
? Look around you. “As we walk into a restaurant for the first
time,” says Daiane, who lives in Brazil, “I
look around to see if the tables, tablecloths,
utensils, and servers are clean and tidy. If
not, we leave and look for another restaurant.”
In some lands, health officials routinely
inspect and grade restaurants for cleanliness,
and they post their results for the public
to read.
? Beware of doggie bags.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
advises: “If you won’t be arriving home within
two hours of being served [sooner if temperatures
are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit
(32°C)], don’t take the leftovers home with
you.” If you have leftovers, go directly home
after your meal and store them in the refrigerator.
If you take the four steps outlined in this
series of articles, you can make your food
safer.
Jeff, a healthy and energetic 38-year-old
man, took his family out to eat at a
restaurant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
U.S.A. A month later, Jeff died of acute
liver failure. The culprit? Green onions in
his meal—contaminated with hepatitis A.
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “We teach our
children to avoid food that might be unsafe to
eat.”—Noemi, Philippines
THE above headlines appeared during a two-week period
last year. Researchers estimate that each year about
30 percent of people in developed countries suffer from
foodborne illness.
How do such reports affect you? “I get worried and even
angry,” admits Hoi, a father in Hong Kong. “I have two children,
and I am concerned about how and where their food
is made.”
In poorer countries, foodborne and waterborne diseases
kill millions—mostly children—every year. “In the markets
here, food items are exposed to flies, rain, wind, and
dust,” says Bola, who lives in Nigeria. “When I read or
hear about food diseases, I feel scared. I want to protect my
family.”
Is it possible to protect your family from unsafe food?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency states: “If unsafe
food gets into our grocery stores, it makes headlines. And
rightly so. But unsafe food, which could lead to foodborne
illness, can also happen from what we do—or don’t do—in
our own kitchens.”
What can you do to protect your family from foodborne
illness? We will consider four ways to make your food safer.
WHO ARE
AT RISK?
Some groups of people
are particularly vulnerable to
foodborne illness, including
? Children under the age
of five
? Pregnant women
? People over the age of 70
? People with compromised
immune systems
If you or anyone eating
with you falls into one of
these categories, you should
be particularly cautious
about the food you prepare,
serve, and eat.
- 0c25a11b9d771b7116676bac03c21c047c.jpg
UNLESS you grow your own food, your
first contact with the food you eat will
likely be at a market or supermarket. When
you shop, how can you select and purchase
healthful food?
? Plan your route.
“Shop for non-perishable food first,” advises
the Food Safety Information Council in
Australia. “Leave [items from] the fridges
and freezers to the end of your shopping.”
Also, if you are buying hot food, pick it up
just before you return home.
? Favor fresh food.
Try to purchase fresh food when possible.
Ruth, a mother of two in Nigeria, says: “I usually
go to the market very early in the morning
when the food is fresher.” Elizabeth, from
Mexico, also shops at an open market. “There
I can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and
I can pick them out myself,” she says. “I always buy fresh meat slaughtered that day. If necessary, I freeze what I don’t use.”
? Inspect your food.
Ask yourself: ‘Is the skin on my produce intact?
Is the meat free of unusual odors?’ If the
food is prewrapped, inspect the packaging.
Damaged packages can allow poisonous bacteria
to enter the food.
Chung Fai, who buys food at a supermarket
in Hong Kong, says: “It is also necessary
to check the expiration date printed on packaged
food.” Why? Experts warn that even if
“expired” food looks, smells, and tastes good,
it can still make you sick.
? Pack safely.
If you use a reusable shopping bag or plastic
bin, wash it out frequently with hot soapy
water. Carry meat and fish in separate bins or
bags so they do not contaminate other food.
Enrico and Loredana, a couple in Italy,
shop locally. “That way,” they explain, “we
don’t have to transport food very far and risk
spoilage.” If it will take longer than 30 minutes
to return home, put chilled or frozen
foods into an insulated bag, or in some other
way, make sure it is kept cool.
In the next article, learn how to keep your
food safe after it enters your home.
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “I teach my children
to check the expiration date of any packaged
food items, such as snacks, before they buy
them.”—Ruth, Nigeria
- 7mda8f678b4568da5d596222c5d5951eff.jpg
JUST as a surgeon protects his patients by
washing his hands, sterilizing his instruments,
and maintaining a clean operating
room, you can protect your family by keeping
yourself, your kitchen, and your food clean.
? Wash your hands.
The Public Health Agency of Canada
states that “hands spread an estimated
80 percent of common infectious diseases
like the common cold and flu.” So wash your
hands thoroughly with soap and water before
eating, after using the toilet, and when you
prepare a meal.
? Keep your kitchen clean.
One study revealed that while the bathroom
tended to be the cleanest place in the
home, “the sites in the households that were
contaminated with the most fecal bacteria
were the sponge/dishcloths in the kitchen.”
Therefore, change dishcloths frequently,
and use hot soapy water or disinfectant to
clean kitchen surfaces. Granted, this is not
always easy. A woman named Bola lives in
a home without tap water. “It is a big challenge,”
she says. “But we never skimp on
soap and water, so they are always available
to keep our kitchen and home clean.”
? Rinse produce.
Before produce is sold, it may have been
contaminated by unclean water, animals,
fecal matter, or other raw food items. Therefore,
even if you plan to peel fruits or vegetables,
rinse them thoroughly to remove
harmful bacteria. This takes time. “When
I prepare a salad,” says Daiane, a mother in
Brazil, “I try not to rush, so that I am sure to
wash the greens thoroughly.”
? Separate raw meat.
To prevent the spread of bacteria, seal or
securely wrap all raw meat, poultry, and seafood,
and separate them from other food.
Use a separate cutting board and knife for
those foods, or wash your cutting board and
knife thoroughly with soap and hot water before
and after raw meat or seafood touches it.
Now that you, your tools, and your ingredients
are clean, how can you prepare meals
safely?
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “We teach our
children to wash their hands before eating
and to wash or discard food that has fallen
on the floor.”—Hoi, Hong Kong
- eoca120ebee5b8fdbf12bff8bf1b043cf4.jpg
FOOD CAREFULLY
ACARELESS cook in ancient Israel gathered
wild gourds, although he was “not
acquainted with them.” He added the unfamiliar
food to a stew. The eaters, who
feared that the food may have been poisoned,
cried out: “There is death in the pot.”
—2 Kings 4:38-41.
As the above example illustrates, food that
is prepared carelessly warrants caution, as it
can be harmful or even deadly. To prevent
foodborne illness, therefore, learn to prepare
and store food carefully. Consider the following
four suggestions:
? Do not thaw meat at room temperature.
“Even though the center of the [meat]
may still be frozen as it thaws on the counter,”
says the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
“the outer layer of the food could be
in the ‘Danger Zone,’ between 40 [4°C] and
140°F [60°C]—temperatures at which bacteria
multiply rapidly.” Instead, thaw food in
the refrigerator, in a microwave, or under
cold water in a package that will not leak.
? Cook thoroughly.
According to the World Health Organization,
“proper cooking kills almost all dangerous
microorganisms.” When cooking food,
especially soups and stews, make sure that
it reaches a temperature of at least 158 degrees
Fahrenheit (70°C). Since it can be
difficult to judge the internal temperature of
some dishes, many cooks use a meat thermometer.
? Serve soon.
Cooked food should not be left at room
temperature for too long, so serve it soon,
even immediately, to prevent spoilage. Keep
cold food cold and hot food hot. You can
keep hot meat in an oven set at approximately
200 degrees Fahrenheit (93°C).
? Handle extra food wisely.
Anita, a mother in Poland, serves most
meals immediately after cooking. But if there
is extra food, she says, “soon after preparation
I freeze it in small portions to make
it easy to defrost.” If you store leftovers in
the refrigerator, eat them within three to four
days.
At a restaurant, you have to trust someone
else to prepare your food. So how can you
protect your family when eating out?
Some foods, such as poultry, need to be cooked to a higher
temperature.
FOOD CAREFULLY
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “When my children
cook food, I remind them to read and follow
the instructions on the food package.”
—Yuk Ling, Hong Kong
- 6ad030b4c20e5d9cf1fa124f805534634d.jpg
Jeff, a healthy and energetic 38-year-old
man, took his family out to eat at a
restaurant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
U.S.A. A month later, Jeff died of acute
liver failure. The culprit? Green onions in
his meal—contaminated with hepatitis A.
ALMOST half of all money spent on food
in one Western land is spent in restaurants.
Yet, in that same land, restaurant food
is associated with about half the foodborne
disease outbreaks.
True, if you choose to eat at a restaurant,
someone else purchases the ingredients,
cleans the kitchen, and cooks the food.
Nevertheless, you can decide where you eat,
what you eat, and how you pack any food
that you take home.
? Look around you. “As we walk into a restaurant for the first
time,” says Daiane, who lives in Brazil, “I
look around to see if the tables, tablecloths,
utensils, and servers are clean and tidy. If
not, we leave and look for another restaurant.”
In some lands, health officials routinely
inspect and grade restaurants for cleanliness,
and they post their results for the public
to read.
? Beware of doggie bags.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
advises: “If you won’t be arriving home within
two hours of being served [sooner if temperatures
are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit
(32°C)], don’t take the leftovers home with
you.” If you have leftovers, go directly home
after your meal and store them in the refrigerator.
If you take the four steps outlined in this
series of articles, you can make your food
safer.
Jeff, a healthy and energetic 38-year-old
man, took his family out to eat at a
restaurant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
U.S.A. A month later, Jeff died of acute
liver failure. The culprit? Green onions in
his meal—contaminated with hepatitis A.
TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “We teach our
children to avoid food that might be unsafe to
eat.”—Noemi, Philippines
- i728470956636b1e24a2da0ecde1aecacb.jpg
References
Article Rating
This article has been read 856 times.
DISCLAIMER: All contents published on this website is for informational purposes only. In as much as we encourage write-ups to be originally written by the claimed authors, we might not be able to control those who will try to copy articles from other authors/writers. In view of the above, the owner and management of Safetyhow.com will not be liable for any loses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of the contents herein. Likewise, the owner and management will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information stated. Furthermore, we highly recommend that any form of plagiarism or libel committed as a result or implication of the articles written by any specific author in this platform be reported to us immediately so that appropriate action will be given.