Food Safety
What?
It is a scientific discipline that describes the way of handling, preparation, and storing of food to prevent foodborne illnesses caused by pathogens. It is also the proper handling of food, using cleaned and sanitized surfaces and equipments. This is to prevent the increase in microbial growth and contamination that can result in foodborne illnesses. Food safety is to ensure that food is cooked properly, killing all pathogenic bacteria/microorganisms (e.g salmonella, s.aureus, coliforms, c.bostulinum, yeast and moulds).
Why?
Food safety is important because food prepared in wrong methods will cause foodborne illnesses. symptoms of it are fever, diarrhoea, vomitting. If it is serious, it can even lead to death.
How?
Hygiene
One can first start by practicing good hygiene: Personal and kitchen hygiene. Make sure that kitchen equipment and utensils are washed properly. Be sure that cupboards and containers are clean and dry. The kichen should also be kept pest free.
Bathing once everyday, wash hands after using the toilet, having short trimmed nails are some examples of good practice of personal hygiene. It is also recommended that one's hair be tied up (if hair is long) or to wear a hair net to prevent hair from dropping into food.
Food Preparation
Food should be prepared properly, cooked at a high enough temperature and for long enough to kill any bacteria present. During preparation of food, there should be no handling of cooked and raw food together. This can cause cross-contamination. An example is using of a same knive without washing it when preparing both raw and cooked food. One should never thaw food at room temperature but rather thaw in the refrigerator, under cold water, or in the microwave.
Food Storage
We should never leave a food in the open for more than 2 hours and refrigerate/freeze perishable foods as soon as they are purchased. Maintaining refrigerator's temperature (chill 0-4C, freeze <(-18)C) is also critical to keep food safe.
Stocks
We can also practice good kitchen stocking. Using the first in first out (FIFO) method to ensure that food is fresh. Expired food products should also be cleared and not use for consumation.
Who?
Regulating legal bodies are the World Health Organisation (WHO) at international level, Food and Drug Adminstration-US (FDA) in the U.S. and lastly we have our very own Agri-food and Vetinary Authority(AVA) in Singapore. 