Whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not, we all love food and in recent times, there have been campaigns for healthier and more wholesome feeding. While this has gradually been embraced with more people being conscious about high fat, high cholesterol and generally unhealthy food, the fact remains that our concern shouldn’t only stop there. Inasmuch as we are advised to eat more fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry, there is also the issue of the safety of these foods because sometimes they may contain dangerous substances like microbes and chemicals.
According to Mrs Yemisi Solanke-Lawal, a nutritionist, “the greatest health risk today from food is contamination from bacteria like Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, Listeria, virus like hepatitis A, rotavirus and parasites like tape worm, amoebiasis (a type of dysentery caused by amoeba). These microbes can all cause food-borne illness. Food-borne illness generally presents no real long-term health risk for the average person, but for many it can be serious. However, when food-borne illness is coupled with some previous health conditions, it can lead to food allergies, seizures, blood poisoning, etc.”
The category of individuals for whom food illness could spell a serious health issue include infants and children, the elderly (because of poor eyesight or reduced sense of smell and taste to spot spoiled food or dirty utensils as well as weakened immune system), those with diabetes, HIV infection (and AIDS) and liver disease, cancer patients and pregnant women.
Most times, food-borne illnesses are as a result of unsafe practices in the handling of food. As always, prevention is far better than cure. Mrs Solanke-Lawal said, “We each bear some responsibility for preventing food-borne illnesses. This is because microbes that cause food-borne illness commonly enter food through cross-contamination, that is, from one source to another, and grow in temperatures favourable to them. Potential sources of cross-contamination are dirty kitchen towels and sponges. It’s essential to practise safe food handling procedures when preparing any food.”
The World Health Organisation’s states its golden rules for safe food preparation to include cooking food thoroughly, eating cooked foods immediately, storing cooked foods carefully, reheating cooked foods thoroughly, avoiding contact between raw and cooked foods, washing hands repeatedly, keeping all kitchen surfaces meticulously clean, protecting foods from insects, rodents and other animals and using pure water both for cooking and drinking.
“Generally, there are some basic guidelines one should have at the back of their minds when it comes to preventing food borne illness. You can greatly reduce the risk of food-borne illness by following these very important rules. It’s a long list because many risky habits need to be addressed but they are quite easy to adhere to,” Mrs Solanke-Lawal said. They are
In purchasing food:
•Put raw meat, poultry, and fish in a separate plastic bag so that dripping does not contaminate other food.
•Don’t buy food that have broken or dented containers
•Purchase only the amount of fresh food needed for a week because the longer you keep fruits and vegetables, the more time available for bacteria to grow on it.
In preparing food:
•Thoroughly wash hands with warm soapy water before and after handling food especially when handling raw meat, fish, poultry, or eggs.
•Make sure cooking utensils like pots, chopping boards, plates, spoons are thoroughly cleaned and rinsed before use.
•Avoid coughing and sneezing over foods, even when you are healthy. Cover injuries with plaster or bandages. This helps Staphylococcus from entering food
•Carefully wash fresh fruit and vegetables under running water to remove dirt, sand, and any bacteria clinging to the surface.
In cooking food:
•Cook food thoroughly, especially beef, fish, goat meat, lamb, pork, poultry and eggs. Cooking destroys most food-borne bacteria whereas freezing only halts their growth.
•Once food is cooked, consume right away or cool within 8 Degree Fahrenheit within one hour and be careful not to re-contaminate cooked food by contact with raw meat or juices from hands, or dirty utensils.
•Serve food on clean plate - never the same plate that has been used to hold the raw product.
For storing and reheating cooked food:
•Keep hot foods hot and cold food cold.
•Reheat leftovers to 74 degrees Centigrade.
Though we may be able to practise some of these safety habits when we prepare our own meals, it is usually difficult to determine if they are followed when we have to eat out. The key is in being extra observant. Watch out for the neatness of the person cooking/serving, the water used in cooking and washing dishes, how the person gets rid of sweat and if the hair is covered or not (especially for female cooks/servers). We should also ensure that food is not served with bare hands because we can’t ascertain if such hands are clean. Also, foods displayed without cover should be avoided as they are a good environment for micro-organisms to thrive. Generally, we shouldn’t sacrifice food safety practices on the altar of delicious food.
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