Avoid Food Poisoning With Necessary Precautionary Measures!

Food poisoning (botulism) is a gastrointestinal disorder triggered by consuming contaminated food.

Most of the foods usually contain certain amount of bacteria that do not cause any harm to people.

But when you fail to handle it properly, it can potentially cause food poisoning.

Most of you infected with disease causing bacteria, can possibly experience many symptoms varying from mild intestinal uneasiness to severe dehydration problem.

At times, depending on the type of infection, some people can eventually die as a result of food poisoning.

However, it is not possible to keep food entirely free from dangerous bacteria.

But, you can take necessary precautions to prevent food poisoning. Here are certain tips that can help you greatly to reduce the chances of complications like pericarditis, kidney problems linked with food poisoning.

Tips to reduce food poisoning:

  1. Always ensure that food retrieved from animal sources is cooked carefully or pasteurized. Don’t leave eggs, meat, seafood and other poultry food products at room temperature for long periods of time.
  2. When you are having meals at any restaurant, if you notice any undercooked or unprocessed food served in your plate, send it back for further cooking without any hesitation. Don’t hesitate even to ask for new plate.
  3. Wash your hands and also utensils thoroughly with soapy warm water before and after preparing or handling the food, particularly eggs, shellfish and other poultry food products.
  4. Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean water before you eat, particularly those, which you do not use for cooking. As possible as you can, avoid eating alfalfa sprouts until they are assured as safe for your health.
  5. Always prefer pasteurized cider or juice. Most of the commercial juices sold at room temperature with extended shelf life will be pasteurized essentially. However, it is not mentioned on the product, but it is the fact that most of the juice concentrates are actually heated to kill bacteria.
  6. Store your raw foods separately away from ready to eat foods. This prevents cross-contamination of foods and accordingly you can avoid food poisoning. So, always use separate cutting boards for ready to eat foods such as breads, cookies, fruits and other raw meats.
  7. Cook your food thoroughly up to safe temperature. You can use food thermometer to check whether the food is cooked to safe temperatures or not.

Consider these recommended guidelines for preventing food poisoning. Implement them in routine life and maintain better hygiene in preparing and handling your food to avoid various undesirable health conditions.