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Food poisoning is a rather common complaint in the Western World. Most of us have suffered from it in some point in our lives. The most common cause of food poisoning is the keeping of foods in wrong temperatures and undercooking of foods. Such practices will give rise to the spread of bacteria, such as salmonella. Foods that are particularly prone to such contamination are poultry, meats, unpasteurised milk based products, rice and shellfish.
To minimise the risks of food poisoning affecting your family follow these common sense guidelines:
(1) Always wash your hands before touching food. Don’t blow your nose when around food.
(2) Keep pets out of the kitchen and away from the dining room table while a meal is in progress.
(3) Store your food properly, especially during Summer months. Bacteria will spread rapidly if contaminated food is left for more than half an hour at a warm temperature. Keep the temperature inside your fridge between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius.
(4) Always check the use by dates on food packages. If it is outside the stated period, throw the item away. If the food looks or smells suspect, likewise discard it.
(5) Make sure that you reheat cooked food thoroughly. Never reheat more than once.
(6) Have a separate chopping board for raw meat, poultry and fish.
Be especially careful about eating the following foods which are often found to be contaminated:
EGGS
If eggs have been laid in unhygienic conditions or have dirty or cracked shells they are better to be used in baking rather than things like custards, mousses or mayonnaise.
POULTRY
Always completely thaw out chicken in the fridge before cooking. Cook to an internal temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius. The cooked meat should never appear pink or bloody.
MEAT
Cook meats to an internal temperature of 75 degrees. Again let it thaw in the fridge thoroughly before use.
If you get food poisoning, you will want to induce vomiting, as this is the body’s way of expelling bad food from the body. Make sure you replace all lost fluid, salts and sugars. Sip diluted solutions of honey. Once you start to regain an appetite, start with a banana and yoghurt. For the next 24 stick to things like bananas, rice, apples and toast.
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