Practicing food safety at home is now essential as the number of people, who are staying home to either work or study, is increasing due to lockdown, restrictions and social distancing. Eating home is one of the ways to take ownership of personal food safety and be in charge of how hygienic the food you consume can be.
Building a food safety culture would potentially protect you and your family against foodborne illness which could have been avoided. You give yourself the chance to stay healthy, save time and resources, whiles focusing on the needful
Here are some tips to begin with in creating a safety culture in your home.
- Practice hand hygiene
The hand and fingers are one of the busiest parts of the body and interacts with different surfaces within minutes. Washing your hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread or transfer of germs unto food . Hand washing is effective with the combination of clean water, soap and a rubbing action. Experts recommend the rubbing action lasts for a duration of 20s. Alternatively in the absence of water , alcohol based hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol) is recommended.
- Wash food thoroughly
Fresh food ingredients arriving home have passed through several steps right from the farm and makes them susceptible to attracting and harbouring germs. For this reason, fresh ingredients need to be thoroughly washed before use. Salt water is one of the recommended remedies for household cleaning of fruits and some vegetables.
- Cook food thoughtfully
Food naturally may have germs due to sourcing, handling and transportation practices. Cooking food is one of the ways of killing harmful bacteria present in food. Heat food until it is very hot and bring to boil when applicable. Reheat leftovers before eating.
- Separate food preparation and storage surfaces
It is recommended to have separate storage for raw foods and fresh foods in whichever storage is used (Fridge, freezer, cupboards, etc). Have separate preparation (cutting) surfaces for meat and vegetables to avoid transfer of harmful bacteria from one to the other.
- Have a home cleaning & disinfection routine
Establish a regular cleaning and disinfection activity for food preparation and storage areas to prevent buildup of dust and cobwebs. Dust serves as a vehicle for the spread of germs unto food surface areas. Consistent cleaning and disinfection would hinder the accumulation of dust, insects, and rodents preventing their contact with food. Practice immediate cleaning of used kitchen wares to ensure they do not become contaminated.
While this is not an exhaustive list, practicing these could just be the beginning of a lasting food safety culture at home whilst saving you from avoidable food borne illness.
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Written by Maame Ekua Manful
Last page review: 23/12/2021
Next page review: 31/12/2024