FOOD SAFETY 

Definition- Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illnesses resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known as a food-borne disease outbreak.

Food Safety refers to handling, preparing and storing food in a way to best reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from foodborne illnesses. 

Food safety is a global concern that covers a variety of different areas of everyday life.

The principles of food safety aim to prevent food from becoming contaminated and causing food poisoning. This is achieved through a variety of different avenues, some of which are:

• Properly cleaning and sanitising all surfaces, equipment and utensils
• Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene, especially hand-washing
• Storing, chilling and heating food correctly with regards to temperature, environment and equipment
• Implementing effective pest control
• Comprehending food allergies, food poisoning and food intolerance. 

Regardless of why you are handling food, whether as part of your job or cooking at home, it is essential to always apply the proper food safety principles. Any number of potential food hazards exist in a food handling environment, many of which carry with them serious consequences.

Foodborne Illness 

Meats, dairy foods and eggs spoil quickly. These foods contain bacteria that can cause illness if the foods are not stored or cooked properly. So keep hot foods at about 140°-165°Farenheit and cold foods at about 41°Farenheit or lower. 

Eat

• Food that is cooked and served hot
• Food from sealed packages
• Hard-cooked eggs
• Fruits and vegetables you have washed in safe water or peeled yourself
• Pasteurized dairy products

Don't Eat

• Food served at room temperature
• Food from street vendors
• Raw or soft-cooked (runny) eggs
• Raw or undercooked (rare) meat or fish
• Unwashed or unpeeled raw fruits and vegetables
• Condiments (such as salsa) made with fresh ingredients
• Salads
• Flavored ice or popsicles
• Unpasteurized dairy products
• Bushmeat (monkeys, bats, or other wild game)

Drink

• Water, sodas, or sports drinks that are bottled and sealed (carbonated is safer)
• Water that has been disinfected (boiled, filtered, treated)
• Ice made with bottled or disinfected water
• Hot coffee or tea
• Pasteurized milk

Don't Drink

• Tap or well water
• Fountain drinks
• Ice made with tap or well water
• Drinks made with tap or well water (such as reconstituted juice)
• Unpasteurized milk