Food poisoning at any age is very dangerous. Hence, it is important to avoid consuming contaminated food as it may be harboring toxins from microorganisms that are responsible for food poisoning. Generally, the way to avoid food poisoning is by not eating contaminated food. As such, preventing food contamination is the most effective way of avoiding food poisoning. This presentation will highlight different ways of avoiding food poisoning.
- Avoid cross contamination: - Cross-contamination is culpable for food poisoning. In order to avoid food poisoning through cross-contamination, ensure that ready-to-eat foods are kept separate from raw foods. Additionally, it is essential to use clean and separate utensils during food preparation and storage (Campbell, Barbara &Catherine 65).
- Avoid the danger zone: - The danger zone is the temperature range where microorganisms are most active. In this respect, keep chilled food at 4oC or lower and hot foods above 60oC or higher (Webb & Eleanor 89).
- Avoid consuming spoilt foods: - Foods that are well past their use-by dates are to be avoided. Additionally, avoid consuming foods packaged in damages containers. Damaged containers let in microorganisms that produce toxins in the food, which when consumed leads to food poisoning.
- Keep food covered: - It is important to keep food covered at all times. This is because it prevents aeration of food thereby reducing water activity and oxygen concentration, both of which are important for microbial activity. It also prevents contamination of food through houseflies and other household insects and rodents (Cardwell 169).
- Observe personal hygiene: - There are many sources of contaminants. Among them is the human body. As such, it is important to maintain personal hygiene when handling foods. This is through among other ways washing of hands before and after handling food (Trickett 25).
Works cited
Campbell, Belinda, Barbara Clapton, and Catherine Tipton. Food Technology. Oxford: Heinemann, 2002. Print.
Cardwell, Glenn. Gold Medal Nutrition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2012. Print.
Trickett, Jill. The Prevention of Food Poisoning. Cheltenham, UK: S. Thornes Publishers, 2001. Print.
Webb, Frances S, and Eleanor N. Whitney. Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. Australia: Wadsworth Thomson Learning, 2006. Print.
