Food-borne illness can be caused by several different pathogens found in food. Food safety may be affected if food is not handled correctly and this can result in mild to severe cases of food poisoning and in some cases may result in death. The WHO indicated that more than 600 million cases of food poisoning are reported every year and that 400 000 people around the world die every year from food-borne illness. It is estimated that in Canada over 11 million cases of food borne illness or food poisoning are reported every year. Many of these cases can be prevented by proper preparation, handling, storage and cooking of foods. Here are 5 important tips to help prevent food-borne illness:
Keep food preparation areas clean by washing kitchen utensils, surface and cutting boards often and by separating raw and cooked foods
Use a food thermometer to check that any meat, fish or poultry is cooked to the correct internal temperature that is specified for each specific food depending on the cut and type of product (71⁰C – 84⁰C)
Store foods correctly and for the correct amount of time to ensure that they are stored out of the temperature danger zone (4⁰C – 60⁰C)
Thaw foods in a safe way
Make sure to store food safely by checking guidelines for refrigerating, freezing reheating of foods
By following these recommendations you can help to minimize the risk of food contamination and thereby reduce the risk of food-borne illness
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