ILOILO City – Avoid food poisoning or contracting illness from ill-prepared food.
Safe food preparation should not be taken lightly this holiday season, stressed the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas.
This year, DOH Region 6 recorded 15 suspected cases of food poisoning that downed 274 individuals, according to Caroline Tumabotabo, the regional health office’s nurse coordinator.
The most recent was in Bago City, Negros Occidental early this month; it downed 59 individuals, 11 of whom were hospitalized.
“We hope wala na sang may mag-add pa. Kabudlay kon kabataan ang involved,” said Tumatabo.
Food safety is the assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumers when it is prepared or eaten according to its intended use.
DOH-6 urged everyone to observe five rules to safer food this holiday season.
* Keep clean – wash hands before handling food during food preparation; wash hands after going to the toilet; wash and sanitize all surfaces and equipment used for food preparation; protect kitchen areas and food from insects, pests and other animals
* Separate raw and cooked – separate meat, poultry seafood from other food; use separate equipment and utensils such as knives and cutting boards for handling raw foods; raw food (especially meat, poultry and seafood) and their juices can contain dangerous microorganisms which may be transferred onto other food during food preparation and storage
* Cook thoroughly – cook food thoroughly especially meat, poultry eggs and seafood; bring food like soups and stews to boiling to make sure they have reached 70 degree Celsius; for meat and poultry, make sure that juices are clear, not pink; and reheat cooked food thoroughly
* Keep food at safe temperatures – do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours; refrigerate promptly all cooked and perishable food; keep cooked food piping hot prior to serving; do not store food too long even in the refrigerator; and do not thaw frozen at room temperature
* Use safe water and raw materials/PN
