Ensuring food safety is a method of keeping food safe while preparing, storing, delivering, and consuming to ensure proper nutrition and good health. Food safety ensures the prevention of foodborne illnesses that are caused by the presence of toxins and pathogens. According to reports, around 4,20,000 deaths have been reported due to foodborne illnesses. Every year, World Food Safety is marked on the 7th of June to spread awareness regarding maintaining food standards.
World Food Safety Day 2023 Theme
The theme of World Food Safety Day 2023 is “Food standards save lives”. Most people rely on information regarding the packaging of food items to know how much food is safe to consume. These food safety standards are helpful for farmers and those who process food. The amount of contaminants, additives, veterinary drugs and pesticide residues that can be consumed safely, measuring, packaging and delivering them, can also be determined under these standards. Labels on allergens and nutrition also help people make the right decisions.
Importance of World Food Safety Day 2023
With modern farming techniques, there has been a rise in the accumulation of chemicals, pesticides, and additives in food that will harm consumers, if not regulated. Water contamination is also one of the biggest problems. World Food Safety Day makes sure that food standards are followed to ensure optimum health for people.
World Food Safety Day 2023 Activities
On World Food Safety Day 2023, several activities are organised worldwide to aware individuals, policymakers and communities. These activities may include public awareness campaigns, workshops, seminars, training sessions, and conferences on safe food practices. Food industries, governments, and other stakeholders come forwards to share best practices, information, and some innovative solutions to ensure food safety.
How to Ensure Food Safety at Home?
Read the following tips to ensure the safety of food at home:
Hand Hygiene and Cleanliness
Start by keeping your cooking area clean and hygienic. Before handling food, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. This is especially important after using the restroom, handling raw meat or poultry, or touching anything that could be contaminated.
Separate Cooked and Uncooked Foods
Separate raw from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination. For raw and cooked foods, use different cutting boards, knives, and plates. You need to avoid the juices from raw meat, poultry, and fish from contaminating other items, make sure you keep them in leak-proof containers.
Maintain Proper Cooking Temperature
To kill harmful bacteria, make sure to cook food properly. Make sure to use a food thermometer to check that seafood, meats, poultry, and other possibly hazardous foods reach the right internal temperatures. You should follow the suggested temperature guidelines to avoid overcooking or undercooking.
Store Food Safely
To maintain the freshness of perishable foods and to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, you need to store them properly. Keep frozen foods at or under 0°F and refrigerated foods at or under 40°F. Don’t forget to check the expiry date of food items and use older items before the newer ones.
Safe Thawing Practices
Safely thaw frozen food to avoid bacterial growth. Foods can be defrosted in the microwave, the refrigerator, or under cold running water. Foods shouldn’t be defrosted at room temperature because doing so encourages bacterial growth.
Handle Leftovers Smartly
You need to handle leftovers smartly to prevent foodborne diseases. Refrigerate leftovers after meals and consume them within a few days. Reheat leftovers and ensure all parts reach 165°F to kill any bacteria.
Regular Cleaning
By routinely cleaning surfaces, cutting boards, cutlery, and appliances, you can keep your kitchen spotless. Pay close attention to places where bacteria are likely to accumulate, like sponges and dishcloths. Replace them periodically or thoroughly disinfect them.
World Food Safety Day aims to inspire businesses, governments, and individuals to ensure the quality and safety of the foods that we eat to promote healthy living. From production to consumption, World Food Safety Day aims to focus on the need for safe food practices.
Conclusion
Everyone needs to focus on the safety of food to avoid unnecessary illnesses from unhygienic food. For more informative and trending health and fitness-related blogs, you can subscribe to Personal Care N Heal.
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