Food safety is a shared responsibility of everyone involved in the food chain from farm to fork. This includes primary producers, food companies, establishments which serve food, and consumers.
At the farm level, there are critical control points at every stage in animal rearing and crop agriculture where contamination of produce can be minimised by following good practices. After slaughtering, for example, inspections are carried out to separate diseased meat from healthy meat, However, even healthy animals can carry human pathogens and their meat can also become contaminated during slaughtering. These pathogens can be difficult to eradicate. Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs can also become contaminated if they are fertilised with animal manure or come into contact with impure water. Crop plants may be treated to destroy pathogens - for example using biocidal washes - but such treatments are not always carried out.
At the food manufacturer level, the majority of companies have in-house quality assurance systems to ensure the safe production of food. Throughout the European Union, there are moves towards less prescriptive regulation and greater emphasis on industry responsibility. Measures currently used to help prevent contaminated food from reaching the consumer include: · Using good quality raw materials from assured suppliers. · Following Good Manufacturing Practices. Using management systems which allow the identification, monitoring and control of hazards during production, processing and sale of food. · Providing training programmes for all food industry personnel. Carrying out research on pathogens and how best to control them. ·Exchanging information on food safety.
At the next level of the food chain from farm to fork, many foodborne diseases occur either as a result of mishandling in catering establishments or in the home. A number of simple rules are recommended by the World Health Organization to ensure the safe preparation of foods: ·Avoid contact between raw and cooked foods, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Wash hands before handling and after handling raw foods, to mimalise possible contamination. ·Cook food thoroughly in order to kill any microbes present. All parts of the food should reach a temperature of at least 70 degrees Celsius. ·Cool cooked foods as quickly as possible and then refrigerate. This slows down or stops microbial growth, which occurs best at 10-60 degrees Celsius. ·Reheat cooked foods thoroughly, to kill tiny microbes which may have developed during storage. .Keep all kitchen surfaces clean to prevent cross-contamination. Protect foods from insects, rodents and other animals which may carry pathogenic
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