Food Safety Measures and how to keep off Food borne Illnesses
Food purchase, storage and consumption are sensitive issues that require to be addressed carefully. There is different food borne diseases illnesses that should be avoided at all cost. The following are some safety issues associated with food purchase, storage and consumption.
- Some illnesses are caused by contamination of food while others emanate from pathogenic bacteria. Scientists are in agreement that microorganisms are a serious threat to the health of human beings as opposed to other microorganisms.
- It should be noted that food itself does not cause illnesses but what causes illnesses are the pathogens and bacteria present in food.
- Raw foods that are derived from animals such as fish, eggs and poultry have frequent cases of contamination from the bacteria that exist in the process of processing them for consumption. In some other cases, food may be contaminated by those who handle it as a result of bacteria which exist in the human body (Ohio, n.d)
The wellbeing and health of individuals is an important treasure in today’s society hence is regarded as key player in this issue. Problems arising from food safety are complex owing to the fact that consumers are at different levels of knowledge regarding food safety science. Failure to comply with safety issues or other sensitive issues regarding food safety may cause illnesses or problems associated with this.
Illnesses and Problems Associated with Food Contamination
There are several illnesses commonly referred to as food borne diseases that arise from food contamination.
- The first illness caused by food contamination is Salmonellosis which is a common illness in many regions. It is caused by a bacterium and characterized by headache, fever, diarrohea and abdominal pains (Medline, 2011).
- The second illness resulting from food contamination is cholera. Cholera is a serious illness in many developing countries and causes great economic losses due to costly treatment.
- Campylobacteriosis is the third food borne disease caused by food contamination. It is a widespread infection and its cases are more than those of Salmonellosis.
The Ohio department of health offers some guidelines through which consumers can protect themselves from food borne diseases.
Ways of Preventing Food Borne Illnesses
- The first way of preventing food borne illnesses is the use of a thermometer to measure the temperature of perishable foods before cooking or eating. This ensures that the foods are in good condition (CDC, 2011).
- The second guideline encourages consumers to dispose perishable foods that are beyond 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The disposal should be done in an appropriate manner to keep rodents away from Public places where food is frequently handled (Wardlaw & Smith, 2008).
- The third guideline is that refrigerators should be well closed to ensure that the foods remain cold for a long period of time. More information on food safety and how consumers can protect themselves from contaminated food can be obtained from www.odh.ohio.gov.
Criteria for Determining Suitable Information Sources
Since there are different sources of information on nutrition and health in general, it is important for consumers to identify the sources that will give them credible nutritional information.
- The first criterion that consumers should use in identifying credible source of nutritional information is to look for government related sources. For instance, information from department of agriculture, department of health and department of job and family services. For example, department of agriculture advises consumers that food can be refrozen if it has ice crystals or if it is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- It also advises that restaurants without power should stop serving food and keep their equipment well closed.
- The second criterion that consumers can use in determining sources with credible information is to look for sites that provide true information without any exaggeration. For instance, some sources only show the positive side of foods with the aim of encouraging consumers without informing them of the negative sides.
- The fourth criterion that should be used by consumers is to ensure that any statements on food containers have a mark of food and drug administration. This is a secure way of ensuring that consumers get the right information.
Reasons for choosing Criteria
The reasons for encouraging consumers to use these criteria include:
- Differentiating genuine nutritional sources of information from those that are not genuine.
- To avoid being misguided by the different types of information
- Consumers also need the capacity to make informed choices.
References
CDC. (2011). Healt and Safety Topics. Web.
Medline. (2011). Food borne Illnesses. Web.
Ohio. (n.d). Public Health and Safety. Web.
Wardlaw, G., & Smith, A. (2008). Contemporary Nutrition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.