Food hygiene means the cleanliness associated with food. Many people associate this with washing hands before eating. But good food hygiene extends beyond this. Poor food hygiene is the cause for many avoidable diseases and even deaths. Importance of cleanliness related to food starts with the preparation of food. The raw substances used for cooking should be washed thoroughly with water before being cooked. Greater attention is needed for something which would be consumed raw, as salads or fruits. If possible, they should be cleaned with hot water. This is because there is risk of contamination of the vegetables or fruits with soil containing infectious germs. Many microbes like the ones causing typhoid, gastroenteritis, diarrheal diseases, abdominal cramps, even liver infections, among others, are passed in stools of infected persons and mix with the soil. This contaminated soil can become the source of propagation of infection. More attention is needed in case of cleaning of meat products. Raw cut or uncooked meat can be a source of serious infections like toxoplasmosis, neurocysticercosis, etc. The surface used for cutting the meat, the knife used should be very clean. If possible the meat handler should wear gloves before handling the meat. Meat should be cooked well before being consumed. Whether one takes vegetable products, milk or meat products, it should be ideally freshly prepared. Freshly cooked meals are always more nutritious, palatable and also hygienic. Many microbes tend to multiply in stale food, which can be toxic to even the liver and kidney. Refrigeration is not 100 per cent safe. Microbes causing dysentery like salmonella, neurological infections like listeria can grow in refrigerated food substances. Refrigerated food should not be reheated and consumed many times. Cooked food should be covered well if there is a delay in eating. Open food items attract dust and flies, both of which harbor and transmit infectious germs. Cleanliness during serving of food is equally important. Persons involved in both cooking and serving food should have clean hands and trimmed nails as microbes can harbor in the grime and dust below nails if one has big nails. The serving vessels, spoons, plates and other cutlery to be used needs to be very clean and grease free. Because, unclean vessels and cutlery can become source of acquiring and transmitting germs. Eating from common plates and using common cups and glasses for drinking may be a way of showing affection and camaraderie but is also a source for transmission of germs. Microbes living in one’s mouth as harmless commensals can pass into another person’s body through common cutlery, among others, and may make him sick if his immunity is low. Washing hands before eating ensures prevention of many diseases. It is also vital to see that garbage generated during cooking, serving and eating of food should be thrown in a waste basket or pit with lid for manure. It should never b left open to rot as that attracts disease transmitting flies and pests. The government’s directives in public restaurants, hotels, among others, regarding food hygiene are useful in preventing food poisoning. Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital
