Many people die from food poisoning, making it important to know what to do in the event that it occurs. In fact, for many people, this is usually the way to go. What they may not be aware of is the fact that there are preventive measures that one can take to curb this increasingly menacing phenomenon. Preventive measures are typically the first form of first aid since they allow you to take charge of the situation and make the best of it. The most common culprits are salmonella as well as E. coli. There are numerous openings where this can occur through. Below are the steps to help ensure that you and your family do not suffer from food poisoning, and which are important because it is impossible to know which foods have the potential to cause poisoning.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77fi5YA3NV0″ width=”220″]– Ensure that your utensils are cleaned well. It is also important to check that the surfaces where you prepare your meals are well cleaned. For instance, if you use a chopping board to cut chunks of raw meat, whether it is fish or beef, make sure that you clean the surface of the board well with warm water and soap. This is a fundamental rule and will go a long way in preventing food poisoning.
– Make a distinction between storage facilities for raw foods and foods which are ready to be eaten. This is key to prevent cross contamination.
– Make sure that anytime you purchase perishable goods you refrigerate them immediately. If they are foods that are meant to be frozen, ensure that you get the same done. It is preferable if this is done within a couple of hours following purchase.
– Always take time to cook your foods properly. This will go a long way in making sure that any contaminants present are destroyed. You should also check the internal temperature using a thermometer to make sure that foods are cooked at the ideal temperature, one of the fundamental steps of preventing food poisoning.
– Ensure that you defrost properly. Many people would ordinarily allow foods to defrost at room temperature, but this is not advisable. The ideal option to deal with this is to use a microwave. On the controls panel of many microwaves, you will notice settings that indicate ‘defrost’, and which are meant for this very purpose.
– Food storage also plays a key role in preventing food poisoning. The most common option for food storage is refrigeration. Even with this modern option, settle for the correct way of arranging food products to prevent cross contamination.
Following these steps will help prevent the need for first aid procedures arising from food poisoning. The advantage of the above mentioned tips is that they are easy to follow through. Making them daily routine also means it is simple to stay contaminant-free. Whatever you do, poisoning from foods is not a road that you want to go down.