Across the globe, Europe is the region with the highest number of cases for foodborne illness. Thousands of cases are being reported to the European Union (EU) annually. Many individuals become ill from contaminated foods or foods that are stored incorrectly in their homes. However, the exciting news is that you can stay safe by abiding strictly to best practices for preventing foodborne illness.
What are the causes of foodborne illness?
Another word for foodborne illness is food poisoning. This is caused by consuming foods that are contaminated with illness-causing pathogens. Symptoms experienced may be mild or severe, depending on the case. However, the common symptoms are weakness, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, aching muscles, stomach cramps, chills, and many others. In severe cases, it may lead to death. The three major causes of foodborne illness are:
- Parasites: This depends on the type of parasite. The symptoms may vary. In most cases, the individuals involved may not know that they have been infected.
- Bacteria and viruses: These can reproduce in the body and make the affected person sick. Note that microbes take their time to reproduce into levels that can trigger symptoms.
- Toxins: Toxins can be produced by fungi or bacteria, which are classified as living organisms. These toxins cause illness and may appear a few hours after consuming contaminated food.
A high percentage of outbreaks start at home
In the food chain, food can get contaminated at any stage. It can be on the farm, during processing, in the kitchens, restaurants, or at home.
Prevent cross-contamination
Raw foods, especially, tend to contain disease-causing microbes. This can be easily transferred to ready-to-eat meals by cross-contamination. This transfer can happen directly if raw food comes in touch with the cooked food or indirectly using a utensil that was used on fresh food without washing.
Hygiene tips
- Wash your hand thoroughly with soapy water before and after handling food preparation
- If you are ill, do not prepare food for others to eat and cover cuts with waterproof bandages
- Wash fruits and vegetables well with fresh water before using them to avoid potential contamination from surfaces used for preparation
- Keep raw and cooked food separated to prevent harmful microbes from raw foods to transfer into already cooked foods
- Make use of different chopping boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
- Wash tea towels, hand towels, dishcloths, and aprons and keep them adequately dried before use
- When washing raw meat take precaution to prevent the water from spreading to avoid contaminating food
- Make and chop your food on clean surfaces and ensure that all utensils and surfaces are washed before and immediately after cooking
Furthermore, another vital tip to preventing foodborne illness is to make sure you cook your food correctly. Undercooked or uncooked foods like shellfish, meats, and pasteurized dairy products are significant sources of foodborne illness. Heating and cooking of meals to a moderate temperature for 2 minutes will help to kill any form of microbes that could potentially cause disease.
- Boil soups and stews for at least two minutes before eating. Reheat any leftovers of pre-prepared food thoroughly
- Reheat leafy greens like spinach before eating to be safe
- In the case of pork and poultry, ensure that there is no pink meat left. Make use of a thermometer to check, and if you do not have one, pierce the thickest part of the meat to see if the juice running out is clear or pink
The Usefulness of Food Thermometers
Using a thermometer is one of the reliable ways of ensuring that your food is adequately cooked.
Cooking:
Checking colors alone is not a guarantee that food has been properly cooked. Also, the temperature needs to be checked to make sure that pathogens like bacteria and viruses are killed. Detecting the doneness of a hamburger, for example, cannot be really done by checking the brownish color of chicken or meat or by looking at the juice that comes out of the meat.
The recipe may state that the food is done after 10 minutes. The different thickness of food or ingredients can change the time needed for food to reach the right temperature.
Food thermometers come in different types and makes. Also, there are different levels of advancement in terms of technology and prices.
In addition, popup temperature gadgets are usually found in turkeys or oven roaster chickens. These gadgets have been available for a long time. The pop-up thermometers are most recommended and reliable. It is also recommended that the temperature of the cooked food be checked in different places with a quality thermometer to be sure of the doneness.
Chill food on time: Cold temperature seems to reduce the growth of dangerous bacteria on foods. To help keep food safe, cold air needs to circulate. Therefore, overfilling your refrigerator is not the best. Make sure the refrigerator is below 41°F. To test for the coldness, you need to test a portion of the refrigerator with your thermometer. This test should be done frequently. In addition, the freezer temperature needs to be at 0°F or below.
In conclusion, foodborne illness is hazardous to health. Keep to these guidelines to enjoy adequate hygiene and bring sound health to your home. Contaminated food can kill. Cover your food and make sure dirty water is not kept in the kitchen to avoid contamination.
