How to Protect Yourself from Food Contamination

If you are concerned about food-borne illness, you may be wondering what steps you can take to protect yourself. It can make you feel helpless when thousands of people are unwittingly sickened because of unsanitary practices thousands of miles away. But there are things you can do to protect yourself from food contamination:

1. Buy Local Food

Food that passes through the hands of many people has more chances to become contaminated. In the mass production of foods, dozens of different workers tend the crops and harvest them. As the food is sorted, packed, shipped, unloaded, and put on shelves, it could be handled by an enormous number of people. If the food is destined for a restaurant, even more hands are involved in its preparation, service, and storage.

Local food is generally harvested by the farmers themselves with some hired help, then loaded onto trucks and shipped by these same people. The food spends much less time in transit, meaning that harmful microbes have less of a chance to flourish on and in the food.

2. Prepare Your Own

Cooking your own food can reduce your risk of food-borne illness. If you follow the proper protocol (see below), your family will be much less likely to suffer from food poisoning.

3. Cook It

Animal foods should not be eaten raw. Whether eggs, shellfish or beef – animal foods need to be thoroughly cooked (between 165 and 212 degrees) for optimal safety. Using marinades containing vinegar and/or garlic can help keep microbes at bay. (Vinegar and garlic kill germs.)

4. Chill It

Cold temperatures inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. Get your groceries home and into the freezer or refrigerator as soon as possible. If you have a lot of errands to run before you can get your groceries home, bring a cooler with an ice block along in your car. After serving, put cold foods back in the refrigerator instead of leaving them on the counter. Thaw meat in the refrigerator, not on the countertop.

5. Heat It

And keep it hot! The “danger zone” for foods (hot and cold) is between 55 and 140 degrees (F). If you need to keep food hot while you finish cooking or eating a meal, keep it in your oven at a temperature above 150 degrees. If you are reheating leftovers, the food should be heated thoroughly.

6. Wash It

Wash your hands before handling food in the kitchen and before eating. When preparing produce, always wash it first – even if it is organic, and even if the label says it’s “pre-washed.”

Wash your cutting boards with bleach and water between uses. Never cut raw meat on the same cutting board that you use for vegetables.

7. Separate It

Make sure all meats are stored separately from vegetables in your refrigerator. Keep meats separate from fruits and vegetables in your grocery cart and shopping bags, too.

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