The Importance of Food Safety

Food safety is something that has hit headlines every so often over the past few years, and it is something that many people take for granted. Being safe with foods is extremely important – what we put into our bodies can have severe consequences for our health if we do not take care to adhere to food safety.

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There are some places where some of us are naturally more alert to food safety standards – some countries have illnesses and diseases that are not present in the UK as well as poor sanitation and less regulations surrounding food hygiene such as things like a BRC audit like this https://mqmconsulting.co.uk/services/brc-audit-global-standards-consultancy/

But although there are places where we may be more likely to fall ill due to lower food hygiene standards, this is still something that can be a problem in the UK. Here are some of the problems that not correctly adhering to good food safety guidelines can cause…

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Severe Allergic Reactions – There have been a few cases in recent years where a lack of correct information in restaurants has led to allergic reactions, some of which have been fatal. Common food allergies include gluten, nuts and eggs and all can be extreme and fatal to a person who consumes a trace of the food containing something that they are allergic to.

In the case of nuts for example, some nut allergies are so extreme that even the bag of nuts being opened in a room can cause the persons body to react, so this shows why it is so important to ensure that restaurants as well as people preparing food at home make sure that they take the correct necessary precautions when they are preparing food. This includes keeping certain allergens away from other foods and also make sure that they inform the person who is eating the food of the ingredients that it may possibly contain – in the case of nuts, this even means if a product containing nuts has been in the area.

Food Poisoning – Food poisoning can be caused by a wide range of things and is something that happens when food has not been correctly prepared or has gone off. Bacteria that get into the food then enters the body, some of which can be extremely unpleasant indeed. Common bacteria that cause food poisoning include (but are not limited to) salmonella and norovirus.

Basic food hygiene is of high importance when it comes to avoiding food poisoning – washing hands thoroughly before preparing food prevents the spread of any germs that may be on the hands, as well as making sure to wash hands after handling certain foods, such as raw meat. It is also important to make sure that food is cooked properly as this will kill off a lot of the bacteria that may be lurking within. If food is known to be off, it should just be binned.