Basic Food Safety Tips at Home

When preparing and handling food at home just follow a few simple food safety tips to prevent yourself or your family members from food-borne illnesses and cross contamination. This is gaining in importance also in the developed, rich countries, as gastrointestinal and respiratory infections are said to becoming more and more a financial burden for national health boards. Healthy adult persons are less possible to become ill. However, babies and young children, geriatric family members or persons with a deprived immune system are especially at risk.

Hygiene at home and in the kitchen is becoming more and more a concern: our modern lifestyle has changed considerably compared to 20 – 30 years ago, when usually one person was responsible for preparing and cooking food. Today partners and children often enjoy preparing meals or friends come together to cook and eat.

Through TV and media people are excited to try new foods that are traditionally not cooked at all (e.g. Sushi, raw seafood dishes, tartar, homemade mayonnaise, crèmes etc.).
The healthy living movement that promotes consumption of fresh food comes with one lttle "disadvantage": fresh food is still "living", germs and bacteria populations will grow explosively, if food is stored improperly. (Correctly prepared and following some food safety tips, there is nothing better and healthier than freshly prepared food.)

On the other hand we are sometimes simply too busy or in a hurry to cook food thoroughly through.
Be honest: How often did you warm up something in the microwave and while eating thought it is still cold in the middle? In a lot of households pets are living closely together with people. Dogs and cats are usually fed in the kitchen, cat toilets are being placed into the bathroom. They may carry germs (e.g. Salmonella species, E.coli, Cryptosporidium etc.) without suffering from any signs of illness. Bad and unhygienic habits can help cross contaminating hands, contact surfaces and food.