Back to: Food Safety 101

We can not control what happens to our food before we source it, other than purchasing food through reputable sources. Oftentimes in manufactured food processing there are outbreaks and recalls. There are government protocols in place to trace the sources of contamination.

Your eyes and ears need to be your guiding light as you select the foods your family will eat. We are not advocating that you source only from expensive stores with fancy marketing departments.

Read labels of origin. I recently discovered lots of fresh and processed garlic is imported from China. I watched a Netflix documentary that showed Chinese prisons that use the inmates to peel the garlic in deplorable conditions with their fingernails. Yuk!

Pay attention to how your food markets are being stocked and cleaned. If they are not cleaning the floors, you can take a safe bet that they are not cleaning spills elsewhere.

Inspect packaging to make sure it’s intact and there is not any extra air expanding inside. Stay away from any can that is bulging, dented, or rusted. Doing all of this while closely monitoring recalls will help.

We can however exercise caution to help protect ourselves and our loved ones from getting sick. Foodborne Illness can be easily spread through the air with droplets, on contaminated surfaces or utensils or through bacteria that is on someones hands.

Teach young children the safe food handling techniques of washing their hands and not sampling food with their fingers. It’s okay to let them lick a spoon as long as it is going directly into the dishwasher. Stop teens from drinking from the carton, and do not let them put their hands in the chip bag repeatedly.

We love pets as much as you do but, keep pets at bay, do not allow them to walk, perch, or lay on kitchen surfaces such as counters or sinks. If you pet or feed them, wash your hands before you return to food prepping.

Do not allow anyone with an open wound to prepare food without it being completely clean and wrapped. Keep anyone who is ill away from the kitchen and food that is being prepared for others. You can prevent the spread of foodborne illness from in your own home with simple precautions.