LOS ANGELES, April 2 — For the 2015 edition of World Health Day on April 7, consumers and food handlers alike are being reminded about the importance of practising food safety — an issue that can quickly escalate from a local problem to an international emergency in the increasingly globalised world.
Under the slogan “From farm to plate, make food safe”, the World Health Organisation’s one-day event on Tuesday April 7 is being mounted as part of an effort to curb the number of food-borne illnesses that in 2010 affected an estimated 582 million people and killed 351,000.
That’s according to figures released by the WHO.
The most common causes of death were Salmonella (52,000), E. coli (37,000) and norovirus (35,000).
Globally, Africa recorded the highest burden of disease for food poisoning followed by Southeast Asia.
More than 40 per cent of the victims were children under the age of five.
“A local food safety problem can rapidly become an international emergency,” said WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan. “Investigation of an outbreak of food-borne disease is vastly more complicated when a single plate or package of food contains ingredients from multiple countries.”
Consumers are also being reminded that the public plays an important role in promoting food safety in a major public awareness campaign.
Here are five keys to safe food, according to the WHO:
Keep clean
Wash hands before handling food and often during food preparation
Wash hands after going to the toilet
Wash and sanitize surfaces and equipment used for food preparation
Protect kitchen areas and food from animals and insects
Separate raw and cooked
Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods
Use separate equipment and utensils such as knives, cutting boards for handling raw foods
Store food in containers to avoid contact between raw and prepared foods
Cook it thoroughly
Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood
Bring foods like soups and stews to boiling to make sure they have reached 70C. For meat and poultry make sure juices run clear, not pink. Ideally, use a thermometer.
Reheat cooked food thoroughly
Keep food at safe temperatures
Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours
Refrigerate promptly all cooked and perishable food (preferably below 5C)
Keep cooked food piping hot (more than 60C) prior to serving
Do not store food too long even in the refrigerator
Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature
Use safe water and raw materials
Use safe water or treat it to make it safe
Select fresh and wholesome foods
Choose foods processed for safety, such as pasteurized milk
Wash fruits and vegetables, especially if eaten raw
Do not use food beyond its expiry date. — AFP-Relaxnews
