ILOILO City – Food safety is not just about proper food preparation. It starts with how the food is grown, brought to the market, or stored.
According to Ma. Azucena Arroyo, nutritionist-dietician at the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, the agricultural practices of farmers are also very important.
“Food safety starts in the farm,” said Arroyo, also the president of the Nutritionist-Dietician Association of the Philippines – Iloilo Chapter.
Consumers should check not only the quality of the products but also how they were grown – organic or conventionally – and how they were stored.
“From farm to the market, okay lang if they’re sold right away, maubos. But if may excess we have to store them sa mga storage facilities nga limpyo man,” Arroyo said.
It was World Food Safety Day (WFSD) on June 7. According to the World Health Organization, the annual observance aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism, and sustainable development.
This year’s theme, “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow”, stressed that production and consumption of safe food had immediate and long-term benefits for people, the planet and the economy. Recognizing the systemic connections between the health of people, animals, plants, the environment and the economy would help communities meet the needs of the future.
FOOD SAFETY, NUTRITION GO TOGETHER
Arroyo said food safety and nutrition go together and are important in child development from conception up to two years in life, or from birth up to 24 months.
“We have to ensure nga indi lang adequate ang nutrients and calories. I-observe gid ang food safety like preparation sang food for pregnant women. Dapat naga-follow kita sang right food preparation,” Arroyo stressed.
During pregnancy, the mother must have a healthy and balanced diet, and safe food preparation should be observed.
“For example, ang vegetables and fruits you have to wash using potable water. Kon higko ang tubig nga ginahugas sa fruits and vegetables, ang higku indi makuha dayun, nagdugang pa sang whatever bacteria or toxic substances nga ara dira,” said Arroyo.
Diarrhea is the most common illness one can suffer from if food preparation is not safe, she added.
During this coronavirus pandemic, food safety and sanitation are all the more important, said Arroyo.
“(But) even wala sang pandemic, we have to ensure nga naga-wash kita sang aton hands properly,” she said.
Arroyo said children, most especially babies, should have their own utensils.
She also underscored the importance of breastfeeding. She said it is recommended during the “golden window” of growth and development period of the baby – the first 1,000 days.
Exclusive breastfeeding is a must for the baby’s first six months, and the introduction of appropriate complimentary food with continued breastfeeding would be from six months up.
“Complimentary food are meant to compliment breast milk at the age of six months up to two years when ang nutrients nga makuha sa breast milk naga-reduce na ‘na sia after six months. It can be taken from the family table like mashed squash halin sa laswa nga gina serve sa balay, mashed potato and then banana,” Arroyo explained.
She added that complimentary feeding is different from supplementary feeding, which is given to malnourished children.
There is a principle of complimentary feeding, Arroyo noted. The amount of food increases as the age increases until two years old when the baby can now be expected to join in the family table.
“The family does not need to buy special food kay pwede gid sia makuha sa whatever food served during meal time,” she added.
Meantime, breastfeeding the baby despite the mother being positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) is still recommended, said Arroyo.
“Breast milk is the best food for the babies… so even if the mother is a COVID patient we still recommend continuing breastfeeding the baby. The benefit is twice the risk,” she stressed./PN
