How to Prevent Yourself from Food Borne Diseases in Summer!!!

Food that is mishandled can lead to food borne illness. Cleanliness is a major factor in preventing food borne illness. Moreover, food borne illnesses do increase during the summer, since bacteria which are present throughout the environment in soil, air, water, and in the bodies of people and animals grow faster in the warm summer months. Below mentioned are ten tips, to prevent food borne illnesses during summer.

1. Always wash hands with warm, soapy water before handling food and after handling food;

2. Thoroughly wash with hot, soapy water all surfaces that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs before moving on to the next step in food preparation

3. To keep cutting boards clean, wash them in hot, soapy water after each use; then rinse and air or pat dry with clean paper towels.

4. While shopping always buy shelf-stable items first and refrigerated and frozen foods like meat last.

5. Food should be cooked above 72 deg. C (160 deg. F) to kill any dangerous E. coli bacteria- the one that causes G.I. infection (upset stomach, food poisoning, etc).

6. Don't use the same utensils that held the raw product to serve the cooked product. Any bacteria present in the raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked product.

7. While going out for picnic, stick to green salad. Any salad that contains protein like chicken or egg is at higher risk to spread food borne illnesses, especially if it's left out at room temperature or in the summer heat.

8. While having a barbeque party, the safest way to grill poultry, fish and meats outside is to pre-cook the items for a bit in the microwave and then finish off on the grill.

9. It is also important to boil the used marinade for a full minute before applying it to cooked food.

10. Cooked food should not be left out for more than 30 minutes and should be consumed within an hour.