Food poisoning is a condition caused by ingesting food that is contaminated with harmful bacteria. It is distressing and often characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, headache, etc. Depending on the type of infection, food poisoning can also be fatal. It is a common problem often faced when we consume something that has not been cooked thoroughly or in unsanitary conditions.
To ensure that you and your family does not fall prey to food borne illnesses, follow these tips:
Maintain personal hygiene: This includes washing your hands regularly, especially before handling food. Also, wash your hands after you have handled raw meat, fish, eggs and vegetables. Apart from that washing your hands every time you touch the kitchen cloth and also the dustbin is essential. One important thing to remember is to keep your nails clean, especially if you are the one who cooks at home. Nails are the first place dirt tends to accumulate, and it becomes a haven for harmful bacteria to hide and breed. If you have pets at home, make sure you wash your hands before handling food. Here are four ways in which your foods get contaminated before they reach your plate.
Change kitchen sponges and wash cloths regularly: Kitchen sponges are known to be dirtier than a toilet seat. When you wash your soiled dishes, all the leftover food tends to get stuck on to the kitchen sponge that becomes a breeding spot for different types of bacteria. It is important to change them often. It is also necessary that you wash all your kitchen wash cloths and tea towels often and thoroughly, and dry them completely before using them again as dirty and damp cloths help bacteria to thrive.
Wash your vegetables thoroughly: How many times have you noticed that the roots of green leafy vegetables and spices like coriander and ginger are full of mud. Even potatoes and other tubers for that matter are mostly covered with soil. It is important that you wash all your vegetables thoroughly before storing and cooking them. Make sure you leave no traces of soil on them as the soil has a variety of bacteria and other microorganisms that can easily cause food poisoning. Here's how you can wash veggies, fruits the right way to prevent diseases.
Use different chopping boards for meat and vegetables: Many a times we tend to use the same chopping boards for cutting vegetables, as well as raw meat. Raw meat has bacteria that can contaminate vegetables and other foods easily, if chopping boards are not cleaned with hot water or antibacterial soaps. Also, avoid using wooden chopping boards as they are difficult to clean.
Cook food thoroughly: Raw foods, especially meats are loaded with bacteria, which if not cooked thoroughly can be very harmful. Eggs and shellfish that are not cooked fully can also be harmful. Many people prefer eating raw vegetables in the form of salads. Although healthy, they can be very harmful if not cleaned thoroughly.
Avoid eating food products that have crossed their expiry dates: Foods are unfit for consumption after they have expired. Expired food products usually contain bacteria and toxins that can cause food poisoning. Avoid eating canned foods, cold cuts, eggs, and other foods such as jams, pickles, canned juices, etc. after their expiry dates. Here is why you should consume your packaged foods before they reach their expiry date.
Do not store food at room temperature for long: Avoid leaving cooked food and other products such as meats and eggs on the counter for long. Refrigerate them immediately after they have been cooked. Also, avoid thawing foods at room temperature, thaw them in the refrigerator instead. Avoid re-freezing foods that have been thawed as it increases the chances of food spoiling.
Refrigerate meats and vegetables separately: Avoid storing meats, raw or cooked and vegetables together as the chances of cross-contamination increases. Store, raw meats in the freezer at very low temperatures or you can also store meat on the lower shelves, where it doesn't come in contact with other foods. Cover each food item properly while storing it in the refrigerator to avoid cross contamination. You may like to read about how to store cold cuts. Here are five tips to keep the fridge well-organised.
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