Practice good food hygiene to avoid illness the HPA advises

Good kitchen hygiene is essential to avoid making yourself and your family ill, the  Health Protection Agency (HPA) is warning during Food Safety Week.

“Food Safety Week is the perfect time to remind people of the importance of thoroughly cooking food, particularly meat, to reduce the risk of illness, Dr Bob Adak, an expert in gastrointestinal disease at the HPA says.

“That coupled with practicing good kitchen hygiene could reduce the number of people who are falling ill each week with a stomach bug.”

There are an estimated 33,160 cases of food-borne illness in England and Wales every week.

Chicken is the top offender for making people ill, followed by red meat then seafood.

The HPA advises following the following tips to avoid becoming ill from food:

Ensure that you cook/BBQ meat until it is piping hot – particularly poultry, as this will kill off any bacteria.

Avoid cross contamination in the kitchen:–
Keep cooked food away from raw food
Store raw foods below cooked or ready-to-eat foods in the fridge to prevent contamination.
Keep all kitchen surfaces and equipment including knives, chopping boards and dish cloths clean
Don’t use the same chopping board for vegetables and meat

Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food and after using the toilet

Dr Bob Adak continues: “Bacteria can survive in all kinds of environments and can grow and spread rapidly given the opportunity. But you can combat this by cooking meat correctly to kill any bacteria that may be present and using hot soap and water when washing up and wiping surfaces thoroughly to eliminate harmful bacteria and reduce the risk of infection.”