How To Avoid Food Poisoning

 Steps

1. Understand what can cause food poisoning. Food poisoning is caused by ingesting food or drink that has been contaminated with bacteria, toxins, viruses, parasites and/or chemicals.^[1] In fact, food poisoning more accurately applies to the ingestion of toxins and chemicals, whereas the bacteria, viruses and parasites are sources of infection via food. Most people, however, refer to food poisoning as covering all these possible sources.
2. Recognize that there are several main events that can cause food contamination:
   
   
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     Food growing: The use of chemicals, fertilizers, manures etc. all have the potential to contaminate food as it is being grown. Never hold an expectation that an item is washed before it leaves the farm.
   • Environmental factors: Bacteria, parasites etc. travel happily in the wind, float in the water, hitch lifts with dust and reside snugly in the soil. They are a part of nature's web of life and will always be a possible source of contamination if not dealt with appropriately as part of a consistent and dedicated approach to food hygiene.
   • Food processing: Whether in a large factory or in your own kitchen, food processing can be a major source of contamination. Areas used for processing need to be kept scrupulously clean or cross-contamination can easily occur, especially with meat products (natural bacteria residing in the intestines of animals are a major source of cross-contamination when mishandled).
   • Food storage: Food that is stored incorrectly, for instance an uncooked chicken thigh resting next to a bunch of grapes, can be a source of transferring bacteria and other contaminants from one food to another. This is a very tricky area because often people don't think that some foods could be a source of contamination but are unaware that cross-contamination has occurred.
   • Food preparation: A great deal of food contamination occurs during the preparation stage. A sick person can pass on germs, from 'flu to gastroenteritis. A chopping board used for meat that is not washed and then used for vegetables is another source of possible contamination. Unwashed hands, dirty kitchen spaces, insects and rodents in the kitchen etc. are all possible sources of food contamination.
3. Know what to do to prevent food contamination. Handling, storing and preparing foods are the most important areas to tackle in order to reduce the possibility of food contamination causing human illness. The other important preventive measure is paying attention to the conditions of food and food service hygiene when you eat out.

Preparation

1. 
   Shop with care. Even before you begin to prepare your foods, take care with how you purchase them and bring them home. Check the use-by dates on products, keep meat and poultry products in separate bags and do not let the raw flesh touch any other foo