10 Ways to Reduce the risk of Food Poisoning

I’m sure all of us hate the idea of food poisoning, but for some of us, it frightens us a hell of a lot more, particularly when we fear the consequences. Here are five ways to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Be aware of Toxic Foods

Did you know that eating raw kidney beans or candle nuts can cause you to be severely ill? Check out the list of 15 common toxic foods for a better idea of what to avoid or cook thoroughly.

Don’t leave Frozen Food out for Long

Buy a mini car fridge/esky cooler so you can store your groceries after you go shopping, that way the sun doesn’t burn it alive. Also, be careful when you go shopping. If you know you’re going to spend a couple of hours looking through the entire shop, buy all your cold stuff last, so that they’re not in the warm air with you, getting rotten.

Use Veggie Wash

We should all be washing our fruits and vegetables before using them, but this product has been an absolute life saver for me! I never even knew this existed! Veggie wash is an all natural wash specifically used for fruits and veggies, to get rid of wax, pesticides and chemicals.

Separate Cutting Boards

I like to use three different cutting boards. One to cut fruits or prepared food that I’m going to eat right away, one for raw meat and fish and finally, one for vegetables and anything else that I’m going to cook. That way, you can easily separate the prepared food from raw or easily contaminated foods.

Don’t eat Raw/Undercooked Foods

Try and avoid raw or undercooked foods, particularly meat (chicken, turkey, steak etc) and eggs. There’s a much higher risk of contracting sa virus like Salmonella, E. coli or listeria if you’re eating food that hasn’t been prepared properly. Remember that cooking food often destroys these viruses, so if you don’t like the risk of food poisoning, try not to have sunny side up eggs.

Internal Temperature

If you’re baking a giant turkey, make sure you buy one of those cooking thermometers that tells you the internal temperature of these foods. If it hasn’t reached a certain temperature, then there’s risk of it not being cooked properly. Believe me, you don’t want to cup up the entire turkey ready to serve, then realise it’s all red in the middle.

Restaurants

Watch out for restaurants! Check and see their reputation and reviews. Once, my friend told me his father ate a chicken kebab in the city which nearly killed him. Well, I never wanted to touch a chicken kebab in my life again! Sushi and sandwich restaurants like Subway can be risky, because of the raw fish and contaminated meats such as salami. Be very careful with which restaurant you go!

Be careful of Risky Foods

Leafy greens and other vegetables like tomatoes, sprouts and cucumbers may look safe, but it can be contaminated by dirty water or even manure. Eggs, poultry and cheese have often been linked to Salmonella outbreaks, which can make people violently ill or even kill them. Oysters, tuna and raw fish can be risky as they can easily be contaminated. Be careful of frozen berries. Sometimes, they’re already molded and you don’t even know that.

Be careful with Tap Water

Believe it or not, this can happen: The dam where your drinking water comes from becomes contaminated, the entire suburb becomes ill after drinking the water. My advise is, always boil water, even though tap water is safe to drink in your area.

If it smells/looks off, Throw it!

If you can sense something off by the way it smells or looks, then throw it out! Don’t even try and save it. If you’ve left food in the fridge for a week, throw it as well. Some food such as opened tofu rots very easily. Don’t ever try and save it, cook it thoroughly to attempt to kill whatever is in there. You were made to detect rotten food and to automatically feel disgusted, so follow your instincts!