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Most foodborne illness result from poor food handling at home, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Your kitchen could be a high risk environment. Bacteria can thrive in food that is improperly stored or handled. You can reduce the risks by following tips from Canada’s food safety experts contained on the website www.inspection.gc.ca .
1. Keep separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and seafood and a different one for ready-to-eat and cooked foods. Clean and sanitize cutting boards after each use. Plastic cutting boards can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher.
2. Wash the lids of canned foods just before opening them to prevent dirt from getting into the food. Clean the can opener blade after every use.
3. Take small appliances apart (food processors, meat grinders and blenders) right after you use them, and clean and sanitize them thoroughly.
4. Air dry dishes and utensils if you can, or dry them with clean kitchen towels. Wash and sanitize towels, sponges and cloths often to prevent bacteria from growing.
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5. Clean the pantry regularly, keeping food off the floor. Store food in sealed containers.
6. Thoroughly wash and sanitize containers and utensils that were in contact with raw food before you reuse them.
7. If you have an infection or cut on your hand, cover it with a bandage and then wear disposable gloves when preparing food. But remember: gloves pick up bacteria, too. Change gloves frequently and wash gloved hands as often as bare hands.
8. Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your food.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada’s people, environment and economy.
Food safety is the CFIA’s top priority. The CFIA develops and delivers programs and services designed to protect Canadians from preventable food safety hazards and to ensure that food safety emergencies are effectively managed. The CFIA website contains information on a wide variety of topics including food recalls, allergy alerts, nutritional labelling, pet imports, food packaging and storage, educational resources for children, animal diseases, pet imports, fertilizers and plant pests.
It’s the CFIA that issues alerts for food recalls. For a long time I’ve been signed up to receive these alerts regularly. This can be very helpful to people with food allergies or sensitivities as the CFIA also issues such alerts when there is an ingredient in a product that isn’t noted on the label.
Check the website above for a wealth of useful information. Stay healthy!
Debbie MacDonald Moynes is Executive Director of The Prince Edward County Community Care for Seniors Association.
