Did you know that the chances of falling ill from contaminated food in summer increases?
Hot and humid weather improve the conditions for germs to multiply quickly and make food unsafe. Contaminated foods may not appear, taste or smell different from safe ones.
Some foodborne illnesses are mild and resolve within days, but others can be severe or even fatal. Follow these five steps to prevent foodborne illnesses.
1. Keep clean: while most microorganisms do not cause disease, there are some dangerous microorganisms that are carried on hands, cloths and utensils, especially chopping boards, and the slightest contact can transfer them to food and cause foodborne diseases.
- Wash your hands before touching food, and often during food preparation.
- Wash your hands after going to the toilet.
- Wash and sanitize all surfaces and equipment used for food preparation.
- Protect kitchen areas and food from insects, pests and other animals.
2. Separate raw and cooked: raw food, especially meat, poultry and seafood, and their juices, can contain dangerous microorganisms. These can be transferred onto other foods during food preparation and storage.
- Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods.
- Use separate equipment and utensils such as knives and cutting boards for handling raw foods.
- Store food in containers to avoid contact between raw and prepared foods.
3. Cook thoroughly: proper cooking kills almost all dangerous microorganisms. Cooking food to a temperature of at least 70°C reduces the risk of food being unsafe. Foods that require special attention include minced meats, rolled roasts, large joints of meat and whole poultry.
- Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood.
- Bring foods like soups and stews to boiling to make sure that they have reached 70°C. For meat and poultry, make sure that juices are clear, not pink.
- Reheat all leftovers until they are steaming hot.
- Don’t taste raw food during the cooking process.
4. Keep food at safe temperatures both for serving and storage: microorganisms can multiply very quickly if food is stored at room temperature. A refrigerator set to below 5°C will protect most foods – but not indefinitely. Over time, even chilled foods will spoil. The cool temperatures slow down bacterial growth but don’t stop the growth completely.
- Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Refrigerate promptly all cooked and perishable food (preferably below 5°C).
- Keep cooked food piping hot (more than 60°C) prior to serving.
- Do not store food in the refrigerator for too long.
- Avoid defrosting food at room temperature. Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator, cold water or in the microwave.
5. Use safe water and raw materials: raw materials, including water and ice, can be contaminated with dangerous microorganisms and chemicals. Toxic chemicals may be formed in damaged and mouldy foods. Select raw materials carefully, and wash and peel them to reduce the risk.
- Use safe water or treat it to make it safe.
- Select fresh and wholesome foods.
- Choose foods processed for safety, such as pasteurized milk.
- Wash fruits and vegetables, especially if eaten raw.
- Check use-by dates and labels while buying packed food; do not use food beyond its expiry or use-by date.
- While storing food, a refrigerator set to below 5°C will protect most foods – but not indefinitely. Some bacteria can grow well under refrigeration and cross-contamination can occur if raw and cooked food or salads are open and kept together.
- Keep the refrigerator clean and dry all the time:
- do not overstock your refrigerator – this can reduce the circulation of cool air and impair the proper cooling or chilling function;
- don’t open refrigerator/freezer doors more often than necessary;
- keep raw meat, poultry and seafood in sealed containers or securely wrapped, to prevent raw juices from contaminating other foods;
- divide a large pot of food like soup or stew into small portions and put in shallow containers before it is refrigerated;
- cover foods or wrap leafy vegetables with paper to retain moisture and prevent them from picking up odours from other foods;
- throw out perishable foods that should no longer be eaten; and
- in the event of a power cut, keep the door of refrigerator closed as much as possible to preserve the cool internal temperature.