Food safety tips

CEBU, Philippines - To keep you safe during this hot season when food spoils fast, the Food and Drug Administration reissues its advisory on food safety. This is to remind the consuming public to exercise food safety habits in order to avoid undue illnesses caused by food with microbiological, chemical and physical contamination.

During the summer season, consumers must always remember to take extra caution in the selection, purchase, preparation, handling and storage of food.

Says Dr. Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go, acting director of the FDA, typical symptoms of food-borne illnesses are vomiting, diarrhea, and flu-like symptoms – a few hours of days after consumption of unsafe food; and/or “could be severe like Hepatitis A, gastroenteritis, cholera, typhoid fever, amoebiasis as well as poisoning from toxic chemical substances.”

The following practical food safety tips can help prevent food-borne ailments:

• Buy from reputable food sources.

• Check the physical condition of the product. Avoid buying dented, bulging, or deformed canned foods.

• Read food labels including ingredients and allergens declaration. If sensitive or concerned about certain food ingredients, avoid those foods. Look for the English translation of the label information on imported food products.

• Check open date marking (expiry date/consume before date or best before date) for perishable products.

• Double check on Holiday Promo items (Buy 1/Take 1 and freebies), which should still be of quality and within safety guarantee period.

• Avoid unlabelled repacked food that swarms around claiming that they are the same as or made by the manufacturers of known brands of food products. Repacked food must also bear proper label information and must be prepared in a hygienic facility and manner.

• Buy fruits and vegetables that are fresh. Wash them thoroughly with running water before cooking or eating.

• Wash your hands thoroughly before, during, after food preparation, after using the toilet, and as often as necessary.

• Prepare food only in clean work area using clean containers, utensils, cutting boards, sponges, etc.

• If street food is tempting, most especially halo-halo, sago at gulaman (samalamig), try to investigate first if it was prepared, cooked and handled in hygienic manner before indulging. How the ice cubes or ice shavings were prepared may not be hygienic. If in doubt, do not indulge.

• Cook food in proper temperature. Boil your water to avoid major intestinal disorders.

• Keep food out of the danger zone temperature range (5ºC to 60ºC) for more than two hours. Remember the food golden rule: Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.

• Keep food covered to prevent insects from coming in, which could result to microbiological contamination.

• Refrigerate and/or properly store leftovers promptly.

• Immediately discard spoiled and suspected to be spoiled food. Reheating or recooking them will not help.

• Be sure not to immediately close containers where food items are still steaming. Bring it to a cool before sealing the containers to prevent rapid spoilage.

• Eat moderately to prevent an upset tummy. Drink alcohol moderately, as well. (FREEMAN)