Importance of Food Sanitation and Hygiene

Food as commonly called is any edible substance that is consumed for strength and support to the body, it plays a major role in body growth, providing the body with the required energy to carry out daily activities and retain the body’s good shape and condition. No human can actually survive without eating food and some humans health have been at risk due to eating unhealthy foods. Food can be very tasty and sweet, it can also be dangerous to the human body if not properly prepared. Food can be said to be hygienic and non hygienic at the same time.

Food safety and sanitation is very important in the food industry. Its importance cannot be underestimated even when delivery is meant to be quick and profitable.

Food sanitation and hygiene has a broad meaning, food hygiene is not about eating freshly made food outside your home, but a habit that needs to be maintained at home and outside the home. Maintaining personal hygiene, eating clean food, handling food and storing food properly on daily basis has a lot to do with food hygiene, this process must be observed by both the food handler and the food business dealers void of contamination. Another way of maintaining food hygiene and sanitation is by ensuring a clean and decent kitchen.

Food hygiene is also an act of proper preparation, washing, cooking, storing and preservation of food in ways that prevent cross contamination and spread of bacteria which could lead to food poisoning. Certain things need to be done to ensure that our food is hygienic enough for consumption.

We all know that micro organisms require comfortable environments to dwell particularly on foods, and they contaminate and spoil our food with ease ones they have access to it. Foods they easily contaminate are fruits, tomatoes, meat, cabbage etc but if cross contamination between raw foods and ready made food is properly avoided, then food hygiene and sanitation can be guaranteed.

Importance of Food Sanitation and Hygiene

Now let us consider;

The importance of food hygiene and sanitation

According to the Greek word “geynos” meaning health, is a medical science that deals with the interrelations and interaction of man and the environment, how the environment affect and influence our human health. Then the Latin word “sanitas” is the science of the practical application of hygiene rules and requirements that eliminate the harmful influence on people. Hygiene and sanitation are closely related and mutually complementary.

In this 21st century, a lot of consumers have been in high demand of safe and healthy food, thereby mounting pressure on food producing and handling companies. With proper hygiene highly considered during food preparation, disease can easily be spread our hands and kitchen utensils are not properly washed. In some parts of Africa, this matter is not always known and is taken lightly. Due to this, sanitary conveyor systems specifically designed for food items have been put in place to handle bakery or confection items, seafood, meat or poultry, dairy and ready-to-eat products. With sanitary conveyor designed for particular food processing task can greatly improve your efficiency as well as meeting or exceeding safety and sanitary standards.

Below are Food hygiene tips:

-Practice personal hygiene

-Use appropriate kitchen tools for food preparation

-Refrigerate foods that can be easily destroyed by heat

-Clean the kitchen counter and mop the flour after each food preparation.

-Raw foods should be well stored from the cooked ones.

-Wash fruits and vegetables with salt or vinegar.

-Keep insects and pests away from food areas.

-Keep grains, powdered and dried foods away from each other and from liquid

-Cook food to an appropriate temperature to destroy bacteria

-Use clean water to prepare food always.

-Keep food that has been contaminated with pathogen from spreading to people and pets.