Five Keys to Safer Food : World Food Safety Day

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The World Food Safety Day is organised on the 7th of June 2020 by the World Health Organisation and Food and Agricultural Organisation. Both of these are agencies of the United Nations. And the goal is to make food safe for consumption across the world.

With the theme of Food Safety : Everyone’s Business, this event aims to make people aware of the hazards of contaminated food. Several creatives and manuals were released for this purpose. And this one is about the Five Keys to Safer Food.

Five Keys to Safer Food

five keys to safer food
five keys to safer food
  1. Keep Clean : Most contamination happens due to unclean hands or cooking equipment.
  • Make it a habit to wash hands before and during cooking.
  • Hand wash after going to toilet is a must.
  • Clean and Sanitize all surfaces and equipment before use.
  • Insects, pets and other animals should not be allowed in kitchen.
  1. Separate Raw and Cooked Food : Raw food contains a variety of micro organisms which normally die on cooking.
  • Raw meat, poultry , seafood etc should never mixed with cooked food.
  • Separate equipment should be used for raw and cooked food.
  • Food must be stored in containers to prevent mixing.
  1. Cook Thoroughly : Proper cooking kills harmful microbes bhich can otherwise cause severe problems.
  • Make sure to cook Non-veg food properly
  • Cook all soups, stews, boiled food etc at 70 degree Celsius.
  • Reheat food before consumption.
  1. Keep Food at Safe Temperatures : Harmful microbes propagate really fast in room temperature.
  • Cooked food should not be left in room temperature for more than 2 hours.
  • Refrigerate cooked and perishable food as fast as possible.
  • Food should be piping hot while serving.
  • Do not store food for too long.
  • Make sure not to thaw frozen food in room temperature.
  1. Use Safe Water and Raw Materials : Water and raw materials are important sources of contamination..
  • Use treated water for cooking.
  • Select fresh and wholesome ingredients.
  • Choose scientifically treated ingredients.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables properly before consumption.
  • Keep an eye on expiry date.

These are a few key steps we all need to follow. You can download the Five Keys for Safer Food Manual from here.

You can also read the Five Keys for Safer Aquaculture Products , Five Keys of Growing Safer Fruits and Vegetables and the Key Messages from WHO and FAO .

(Feature image source: Freepik)