Foodborne diseases
There are two types of food poisoning: infectious agent and toxic agent. Food infection refers to the presence of bacteria or other microbes which infect the body after consumption. Food intoxication refers to the ingestion of toxins contained within the food, including bacterially produced exotoxins which can happen even when the microbe that produced the toxin is no longer present or able to cause infection.
· Do keep kitchens clean. Keep tables and other surfaces on which food is prepared clean, and keep kitchen utensils clean.
· Do protect food by keeping it covered or in boxes or cupboards with wire screens.
· Do wash your hands well with clean soap and water before touching or preparing food. Cuts or sores on fingers should be covered with a clean dressing.
· Do boil plates and eating utensils used by sick people before anyone else uses them.
· Do not keep food for a long time in a warm place. Do not keep left-over cooked food if you cannot keep it cool or keep it in a refrigerator.
· Do not let flies, other insects, worms, rats or other animals touch or crawl on food. They carry germs and spread disease.
· Do not let dust get on food or let people touch food.
· Do not leave food scraps or dirty dishes lying around, as these attract flies and let germs breed.
· Do not leave clean utensils lying on the ground.
· Do not eat raw or undercooked meat. Cook it right through.
· Do not eat food that is old or smells bad.
· Do not eat food from cans that are swollen or that squirt out when opened. Be especially careful with canned fish.
(Ref: IPCS, the United Nations Environment Programme, ILO and the World Health Organization)
(Contributed by Dr Sudhir Gupta)
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