Women, The Family And Health
Food Safety: What can we do?
Silvia Michanie, Food Safety Consultant, Nestlé, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Diarrhoea remains an important cause of death in children under 5 years old. A large proportion originates in contaminated food and drinking water. In addition, diarrhoea provokes a malnutrition that increases the risk of a new food borne illness. The most important causes of food borne disease are well known microbes that we, as women, may avoid during home food preparation.
Common causes of food borne disease are: eating raw or insufficiently cooked foods, insufficient cooling, cross contamination, preparation too long in advance, unhygienic food handling and use of contaminated water. Following the World Health Organization (WHO) “Golden Rules” for safe food preparation is the best way to prevent food borne illness. Thus, these rules must be known by all people handling foods including housewives: choose foods processed for safety, cook food thoroughly, eat cooked foods immediately, store cooked foods carefully, reheat cooked foods thoroughly, avoid contact between raw and cooked food, wash hands repeatedly, keep foods away from insects, rodents and others animals and use safe water.
The “Golden Rules” as well as other consumer education material need the widest possible dissemination. Other strategies to prevent food borne illness include training nutritionists and other health professionals. For that purpose WHO and the Industry Council for Development (ICD) has developed a training course which is already widely used. Children also need basic education on hygienic behaviour, and Nestlé is addressing this need. There is no doubt that national women’s organisations can play a very important role in the promotion of the educational material now being developed.
Last Modified: November 29, 2002