World Food Safety Day — here are a few things you can do to keep your food safe and hygienic

The World Health Organization (WHO) marks June 7 as ‘World Food Safety Day’,...

...to draw people’s attention towards food safety by detecting, preventing and informing people about foodborne diseases.

The theme for this year is “safe food now for a healthy tomorrow”.

WHO says that consumption and production of healthy food has immediate and long term effects on people, the planet and the economy.

WHO says that nearly one in ten people (approximately 600 million people) fall ill...

...and around 4,20,000 people die every year, globally, due to eating food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical substances.

Unsafe food not only not affects your health, but also hinders many low and middle income economies,...

...which lose around $110 billion in productivity and medical expenses due to illness and premature death of workers, reveals a 2020 report by WHO.

These are some basic steps one can follow to make sure to keep yourself and your family safe —

Cleanliness

It is really important to maintain hygiene in the kitchen, by regularly washing your utensils, tools after every use. Rinse your fruits and vegetables properly. Clean the lids of canned goods before opening them.

Keep raw foods separate

If you’re a non-vegetarian, keep your meat, seafood, eggs away from other foods as the germs can spread from one food to another. Use a special cutting board for raw foods only.

Never consume raw or undercooked meat and poultry

Consuming raw or undercooked eggs, meat, poultry or even dairy products with unpasteurized milk can cause Salmonellosis infection that can cause diarrhoea and foodborne diseases. It is important to cook your food properly, as heat kills germs.

Avoid cooking when you’re sick

When you are sick, you are more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses, which easily spread from one to another. Avoid cooking, preparing or serving food and beverages when you’re sick.

Put your food items in refrigerators right away

It is always recommended to put your food in the fridge or freezer within two hours after cooking or buying from the store, especially when it is hotter outside.