10 TIPS TO PREVENT FOOD POISONING

Here are 10 tips to help you prevent food poisoning:
1. Choose fresh, clean food
– With vegetables and fruits: choose fresh vegetables and fruits, not crushed, without strange odors.
– Meat must pass veterinary quarantine and meet fresh meat standards.
– Fish and seafood must be fresh, maintain normal color, and show no signs of spoilage.
– Processed foods must be canned or packaged securely, and must have a label with complete information such as product name, weight, main ingredients, method of preservation, use, and place of production. , Processing; Has a production registration number and is still in use. For canned foods, do not choose cans that are distorted, bulging or rusty.
– Do not use moldy dry food.
– Do not use strange foods (strange fish, strange vegetables, fruits or mushrooms) of unknown origin.
– Do not use chemical colors or sugars that are not on the list allowed by the Ministry of Health.
2. Keep eating and food processing areas clean
– Food processing areas must not have stagnant water, away from smoke, dust, toilets or animal husbandry areas, and waste that pollutes the environment. .
– All surfaces used for food preparation must be easy to clean and always kept clean and dry.
– The kitchen must have enough light and ventilation.
– Must have enough clean water for food processing and clean the processing area regularly.
– Prevent the movement of cockroaches, mice and other animals in food processing areas.
3. Use clean cooking and eating utensils
– Do not leave dirty utensils overnight.
– After use, dishes must be washed immediately. Do not use moldy or greasy towels to dry dishes. If the tool has just been washed and needs to be used immediately, it should be rinsed with boiling water.
– Utensils in contact with cooked and raw food must be kept separate.
– Do not use tools that are chipped or rusty because they are difficult to clean.
– Leftover food and discarded food must be stored in a closed container with a lid and transported daily.
– Only use soap and cleaning utensils approved by the Health sector to avoid toxic residues on food.
– Do not use utensils made of copper, aluminum, processed glass, colored recycled plastic for cooking, or containing acidic liquid foods or alcohol because they can dissolve heavy metals such as lead, copper… or food additive.
– Absolutely do not use packaging that contains toxic chemicals, pesticides, veterinary drugs, bleach, or antiseptics to store food.
4. Prepare food cleanly and cook thoroughly
– Vegetables and fruits must be soaked in clean water and then washed thoroughly under running water or washed in a basin, changing the water 3-4 times.
– Frozen foods must be completely thawed and washed before cooking.
– Boiling temperature can kill most disease-causing bacteria, but must be cooked thoroughly to reach a uniform boiling temperature. Pay attention to the meat near the bone, if it is still pink or red, you must reheat it until it is completely cooked.
– Do not eat raw foods such as fish salad, rare beef, salad…
5. Eat immediately after food has just been cooked or prepared
– Cooked food left to cool at normal temperature is susceptible to bacterial invasion. import and develop. To ensure safety, eat food as soon as it is still hot and just finished cooking.
– For foods that do not need to be cooked such as bananas, oranges, melons and other fruits, they should be eaten immediately after peeling or cutting them.
6. Carefully store cooked food and reheat thoroughly before eating
– If food must be prepared in advance or must wait after 3 hours, it needs to be kept hot at a temperature of 600C or maintained in cold conditions ≤ 100C. For young children, feed food immediately after it has cooled and do not use this method of preservation.
– Do not put too much warm food or hot food into the refrigerator.
– Do not mix raw food with cooked food.
– Do not use knives or cutting boards that have just been cut or sliced ​​raw meat that have not been washed to slice cooked food.
– Food must be covered carefully to avoid flies and insects from entering.
– Do not use your hands to pick up cooked food or ice to mix drinks.
– Do not leave chemicals, pesticides or other toxic substances in the food processing area.
– Store packaged foods well according to label requirements.
– Reheating food to a uniform boiling temperature right before eating is the best way to prevent bacteria from growing during storage.
7. Maintain good personal hygiene
– Caregivers need to wash their hands with soap and clean water before feeding children or coming into contact with food, after going to the toilet, and after coming into contact with fresh food.
– Wear clean clothes and neat hair when preparing food.
– Do not smoke, cough, or sneeze while preparing food.
– Keep your nails short and clean.
– If there is a wound on the hand, it should be covered with a waterproof material.
– Do not contact food when you have stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever or signs of infectious disease.
8. Use clean water in eating and drinking
– Use common water sources such as tap water, well water, rain water, and treated rivers and streams to wash food, prepare food and drinks, and wash utensils.
– The water must be clear, without odor or strange taste.
– Water containers must be clean, must not have moss or dirt stuck around or at the bottom, and must have a lid.
– Use boiled water to drink or make soft drinks, ice cream, or ice.
9. Use food packaging materials that are clean, appropriate and meet hygiene standards
– Do not use old books or newspapers to wrap cooked food.
– Packaging must be clean, retain the attractiveness of taste, color and not absorb toxins into the food.
– Food labels must be truthful, have all necessary information such as product name, weight, main ingredients, preservation and use methods, place of production and processing, production registration number, and expiration date. expiry.
10. Implement hygiene measures to prevent diseases, keep the living environment clean
– Implement measures to kill flies, cockroaches, mice… and provide hygiene instructions to prevent diseases according to the direction of the Health sector.
– Garbage must be stored in closed containers with lids and dumped on time and in the right place