FOOD HYGIENE AND SAFETY

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Anything that goes into our mouth enters directly into our system, and it can affect us either positively or negatively. Since the mouth is the gateway to our body, we must be cautious about what we allow inside. One of the major things that enter our system through the mouth is food, and this is why it is very important to ensure that any food we take in is safe and hygienic for consumption, otherwise, it can harm us.

Food safety is very important. Food safety, also known as food hygiene, refers to the conditions and measures necessary to ensure that food remains safe from production to consumption. Food can become contaminated at any stage, starting from harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, and even during consumption. Therefore, we must be very careful when handling and processing the food we eat.

Poor food handling can cause illness because it may lead to food-borne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, and can also result in food poisoning. Food contamination can occur depending on how it is stored, the environment or facilities used for storage, the chemicals used in preservation, or even the detergent used in washing food items. Sometimes, unclean cooking utensils, dirty water, or uncovered food can also expose food to germs, insects, and dust, which can be harmful to our health.

To ensure food safety, we should observe the following practices: wash all food items thoroughly before consumption or cooking since bacteria can easily spread within the kitchen and contaminate food, separate spoilt food from good ones when noticed, cook food properly and at the right temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning, refrigerate food to preserve it, and discard any spoilt food immediately. We should also ensure our hands are clean before touching food and keep our cooking environment neat at all times.

Let us practice personal hygiene and maintain food safety to promote healthy living and prevent diseases that may arise from poor food handling. Thanks for reading, I am @nsigo1, and I invite @ityetuk, @ezun1, and @ritaetim to join.