The Importance of Food Safety

Ensuring food safety is crucial in preventing foodborne illnesses, which can be particularly harmful to vulnerable populations, including hospital patients and the elderly.

Food safety refers to handling, preparing, and storing food in a way that prevents foodborne illnesses. This involves a series of practices designed to avoid contamination and ensure that food remains safe to eat at every stage of the supply chain.

According to Busamed dietician Natalie Grobler, each year, millions of people fall ill due to unsafe food. “Contaminated food can lead to serious health issues, including food poisoning, infections, and even long-term health problems. Ensuring food safety helps protect consumers, supports food security, and promotes overall health.” Dietician Natalie Grobler shares some tips for ensuring food safety.

• Cleanliness: Always wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly before and after handling food. This helps prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses. Wash fruit and vegetables if eaten raw.

• Separation: Keep raw and cooked foods separate to avoid cross-contamination. Use different cutting boards for meats and vegetables to maintain food hygiene. Store food in containers to avoid contact between raw and prepared foods.

• Cooking: Cook food thoroughly, especially meats, poultry, eggs and seafood; bring foods like soups and stews to boiling. For meat and poultry, make sure juices are clear not pink. Reheat leftover food until piping hot.

• Chilling: Refrigerate perishable foods promptly. Keep your fridge at or below 4°C and your freezer at -18°C to slow the growth of bacteria.

• Safe Sourcing: Buy food from reputable sources. Check expiration dates and inspect food packaging for any signs of damage or tampering.

• Water: Use safe water during cooking or treat the water to make it safe.

• Safe Temperatures: Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Keep cooked food piping hot prior to serving ( > 60°C). Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature.

“World Food Safety Day reminds us that safe food practices are a shared responsibility. Whether at home, in the hospital, or at a restaurant, everyone has a role to play in ensuring food safety. By following best practices, we can protect our health and the health of those around us,” Natalie concludes.