FoodVendors:
WORLD HEALTH DAY 2015:-) FOOD SAFETY TIPS
Inform yourself. How much do you know about your food? Read the labels when buying and preparing food
Familiarize yourself with the dangerous microbiological and chemical agents in your region
Learn how to take care when preparing specifc foods which can be danger- ous if not handled properly (e.g. raw chicken, cassava, etc.)
Learn how to prepare and store food from other cultures that you are not fa- miliar with (e.g. sushi)
• Handle, store and prepare food safely
Practice WHO’s Five Keys to Safer Food when handling and preparing food (keep clean – separate raw and cooked food – cook thoraoughly – cook food at safe temperatures – use safe water and raw materials).
Avoid overcooking when frying, grilling or baking foods as this may produce toxic chemicals.
In your kitchen, store chemical products in a safe place.
Do not re-use containers that were initially used to store chemicals to store food.
Practice safe food handling when selling food at markets.
Practice WHO’s Five Keys to Growing Safer Fruits and Vegetables (practice good personal hygiene – protect felds from animal faecal contamination – use treated faecal waste – evaluate and manage risks from irrigation water – keep harvest and storage equipment clean and dry) to decrease microbial contami- nation when growing fruits and vegetables for your family or community
• Teach healthy practices to others in your community
• Make safe/wise choices
Take particular care in preparing food for pregnant women, children, the elder- ly and the sick (those with a weakened immune system)
When eating food from street vendors or buffets in hotels and restaurants, make sure that cooked food is not in contact with raw food that could contam- inate it.
Make sure the food you eat is prepared and kept in good hygienic conditions (clean, cooked thoroughly, and kept at the right temperature, i.e. hot or refrig- erated/on ice)
When shopping, keep raw meat, poultry, fsh and shellfsh away from your

FoodVendors:

FIVE KEYS TO SAFER FOOD:
1. Keep Clean
Wash your hand with soap before handling food and often during preparation. Wash your hands with soap after using the toilet. Wash and sanitize all surfaces and equipment used for food preparation Protect kitchen areas and food insects, pests and other animal
2. Separate Raw and Cooked
Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood other foods use separate equipments and utensils such a knives and cutting board for handling raw foods store food in containers avoid contact between raw and prepared foods
3. Cook Thoroughly
Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs and sea foods Bring foods like soup and stews to boiling to make sure that they have reached 70c. For meat and poultry, make sure that juices are clear, not pink, ideally, use a thermometer.
Reheat cooked food thoroughly.
Avoid overcooking when frying, grilling or baking food as this may produce toxic chemicals.

4. Keep Food at Safe Temperature
Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours
Refrigerate promptly all cooked food and perishable food (preferably below 5c)
Keep cooked food piping hot (more than 60c) prior to serving
Do not store food too long even in the refrigerator
Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature.

5. Use Safe Water and Raw Materials
Use safe water or treat it to make it safe
Select fresh and wholesome foods
Choose foods processed for safety, such as pasteurized milk
Wash fruits and vegetables, especially if eaten raw
Do not use food beyond its expiry date.

FIVE KEYS TO A healthy diet
1. Give your baby only breast milk for the first 6 months of life
• From birth to 6 months of age your baby should receive only breast milk, day and night
• Breast feed your baby whenever the baby feels hungry

2 Eat a Variety of Foods
• Eat a combination of different foods: stable foods, Legumes, Vegetables, fruits and foods from
Animals
3 Eat Plenty of Vegetables and Fruits
• Consume a wide variety of vegetables and fruits (more than 400g per day)
• Eat raw vegetables and fruits as snacks instead of snacks that are high in sugar or fat
• When cooking vegetables and fruits, avoid over cooking as this can lead to loss of important
Vitamins
• Canned or dried vegetables and fruits may be used, but choose varieties without added salt or sugar.

4 Eat Moderate Amount Of Fats and Oils
• Choose unsaturated vegetable oils (e.g. olive, soya, sunflower, corn) rather than animal fats or
Oil high in saturated fats (e.g. coconut and palm oil)
• Choose white meats (e.g. poultry) and fish that are generally low in fats rather than red meat
• Limit consumption of processed meat and luncheon meat that are high in fat and salt
• Use low or reduced fat milk and dairy products, where possible
• Avoid processed, baked, and fried foods that contain industrial Trans fatty acids.

5 Eat Less Salt and Sugar
• Cook and prepare foods with as little salt as possible
• Avoid foods with high salt content
• Limit the intake of soft drinks and fruits drinks sweetened with sugar

FIVE KEYS TO [color=#990000][/color]APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

1 If you are physically active it’s not too late to start regular physical activity and reduce
Sedentary activities
• Find a physical activity that is fun
• Gradually increase your participation in physical activity
• Be active with family member in the home and outside
• Reduce sedentary habit such as watching TV and playing computer games

2 Be physically active everyday in as many ways as you can
• Walk to the local shop
• Take the stairs instead of the lift
• Get off the bus early and walk

3 Do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 5 or more days each week
• Make physical activity part of your regular routine
• Organize to meet friends for physical activity together
• Do some physical activity at lunch time with colleagues

4 If you can, enjoy some regular vigorous intensity physical activity for extra and fitness benefits
• Vigorous physical activity can come from sports such as football, badminton, or
Basketball and activities such as aerobics, running and swimming
• Join a team or club to play a sport that can enjoy
Ride a bike to work instead of taking the car
5 School-aged young people should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to rigorous intensity physical activity each day
• Encourage young people to participate in sports and physical activity for fun
• Provide young people with safe and supportive environment for physical activity




: BEWARE OF THESE BANNED FOOD PRODUCTS:

A list of food products and ingredients banned in several places around the world was released recently. Suprisenly, many items on the list are still in Nigeria. It is not unexpected that a host of the banned ingredients are disguised and passed off as “safe” and “healthy”. Here are tips for avoiding the offending ingredients.

1) Artificial food colorings; -
Today, many companies are removing artificial colours from their products, so a little research should help you find safe alternatives. Many common snack foods contain Yellow #5 in their ingredient list, but its not the only artificial food colour that is banned in other countries. Blue #1, Blue #2, and Red #40 may also cause health problems.

2) Brominated vegetable oil;-
Banned in over 100 countries world wide because it contains toxic bromine, brominated vegetable oil is used in many brands of beverage drinks to prevent the flavouring from seperating and floating to the surface.

3) Bromated flour;-
In Nigeria, many kinds of bread (notably the agege variety) are still made from bromated flour,which is banned in Europe, Canada and China, and linked to kidney damage, cancer and nervous system damage.

4) BHT and BHA;-
Japan,the United Kingdom and other European countries have banned these preservatives because they have been shown to cause cancer in rats. To avoid BHT and BHA, best option is purchasing food that is fresh and natural.

5) Arsenic;-
Though a known poison, arsenic was used in some chicken to make the meat appear fresher. Chickens raised for meat are no longer given feed additives containing arsenic, but that didn’t stop the European Union from putting ban on it. If you eat poultry, particularly the frozen variety, make sure you know where it is coming from and how it is raised.

FoodVendors:
BEWARE OF THESE FOOD SAFETY TIPS!!!

1. What should be the last item to put in your cart?
The seafood counter is typically in the middle of the supermarket, not near the registers. But fish is the last thing you should put in your cart. it’s better to do a little backtracking at the supermarket than risk spoiled seafood.
2. What produce to seek out and what to avoid?
Fresh produce, such as spinach, lettuce, and tomatoes, has been linked to dangerous outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli. But you should still eat lots of fruits and veggies since the health benefits far outweigh the risks. Avoid raw sprouts unless you want to cook them. Buy local or organic if sustainability (or taste) is important to you — but bacteria don’t know the difference between local farms or big agribusiness.
3. Which additives are safe and which are dangerous?
Many processed foods in supermarket center aisles are filled with additives that have long chemical names. Most of them, even the hard-to-pronounce ones, are perfectly safe. However, avoiding 17 questionable additives, including artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium; artificial food dyes such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40; and preservatives such as potassium bromate, propyl gallate, sodium nitrite and TBHQ.
4. What’s the deal with dairy?
Avoid raw, unpasteurized milk at all costs. Happily, it’s unlikely you’ll find it at the supermarket, and it is illegal to ship raw milk across state lines in order to sell it. Avoid soft or unpasteurized cheeses if you are pregnant or immune-compromised.
5. How to avoid antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” in meat and poultry? More than three-quarters of the most important antibiotics are used not in human medicine but in animal production, including to speed growth and to compensate for crowded living conditions. That promotes the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that make some foodborne illnesses harder to treat.
6. For all meat and poultry, use a plastic bag to handle and wrap packages at the store.
7. What about “pink slime” and irradiation? Lean finely textured beef, or LFTB, made with technology that pulls the last bits of muscle meat clinging to the bones of carcasses, became known as “pink slime.” It may sound unsavory, but it’s no less safe than the rest of the burger (which is risky enough).
8. Are steaks safer than ground beef? Generally.
Surface bacteria on steaks are typically killed by the high heat of cooking. One important exception are steaks or roasts that are mechanically tenderized, where tiny blades or needles can bring surface bacteria to the interior of the cut of meat. Another exception involves the use of an enzyme known as transglutaminase, colloquially known as “meat glue.” That lets hotels or other institutional food service providers bind one small piece of meat to another — creating the illusion of a larger, more expensive steak.
9. How to minimize cross-contamination in the kitchen?
Have multiple cutting boards for different purposes. At a minimum, use one for produce and two more for raw and cooked meats. Sanitize sponges in the dishwasher or microwave and replace them frequently. Don’t bother rinsing raw meat and poultry. Studies have shown bacteria splashing up to six feet around the sink during rinsing.


MEAT SAFETY from the store
When shopping, buy cold food like meat and poultry last, right before checkout. Separate raw meat and poultry from other food in your shopping cart. To guard against cross-contamination — which can happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on other food — put packages of raw meat and poultry into plastic bags.Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store. You may want to take a cooler with ice for perishables. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. Refrigerate within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.
At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator immediately. Freeze poultry and ground meat that won't be used in 1 or 2 days; freeze other meat within 4 to 5 days.

Thaw Safely
Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. For quicker thawing, you can microwave defrost if the food will be placed immediately on the grill.

Marinating
A marinade is a savory, acidic sauce in which a food is soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it. Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Poultry and cubed meat or stew meat can be marinated up to 2 days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5 days. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it. However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.

Transporting
When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40 °F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home.

Keep Cold Food Cold
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill.
When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a separate cooler.

Keep Everything Clean
Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent foodborne illness, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.
If you're eating away from home, find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths, and moist towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Precooking
Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove is a good way of reducing grilling time. Just make sure that the food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.

Cook Thoroughly
Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature.

MEATS
Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.

GROUND MEATS
Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

POULTRY
Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.

Reheating.
When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs, grill to 165 °F or until steaming hot.

Keep Hot Food Hot
After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served — at 140 °F or warmer.Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in an oven set at approximately 200 °F, in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.

Serving the Food
When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food. In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should never sit out for more than 1 hour.

Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).

Safe Smoking
Smoking is cooking food indirectly in the presence of a fire. It can be done in a covered grill if a pan of water is placed beneath the meat or poultry on the grill; and meats can be smoked in a "smoker," which is an outdoor cooker especially designed for smoking foods. Smoking is done much more slowly than grilling, so less tender meats benefit from this method, and a natural smoke flavoring permeates the meat. The temperature in the smoker should be maintained at 250 to 300 °F for safety. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.

Pit Roasting
Pit roasting is cooking meat in a large, level hole dug in the earth. A hardwood fire is built in the pit, requiring wood equal to about 2½ times the volume of the pit. The hardwood is allowed to burn until the wood reduces and the pit is half filled with burning coals. This can require 4 to 6 hours burning time.
Cooking may require 10 to 12 hours or more and is difficult to estimate. A food thermometer must be used to determine the meat's safety and doneness. There are many variables such as outdoor temperature, the size and thickness of the meat, and how fast the coals are cooking.

Does Grilling Pose a Cancer Risk?
Some studies suggest there may be a cancer risk related to eating food cooked by high-heat cooking techniques as grilling, frying, and broiling. Based on present research findings, eating moderate amounts of grilled meats like fish, meat, and poultry cooked — without charring — to a safe temperature does not pose a problem.

To prevent charring, remove visible fat that can cause a flare-up. Precook meat in the microwave immediately before placing it on the grill to release some of the juices that can drop on coals. Cook food in the center of the grill and move coals to the side to prevent fat and juices from dripping on them. Cut charred portions off the meat.

FoodVendors:
Keep your refrigerator food safe-

Use a Thermometer
Feeling the cold air when you open the refrigerator door isn’t enough to know that your food is cold enough. It should be at or below 40 degrees F to slow bacterial growth, but you can’t know it’s cold enough unless you use a thermometer. That dial you use to adjust the temperature is important, but it’s not a thermometer.As many as 43 percent of home refrigerators have been found to be at temperatures above 40 degrees F, putting them in the food safety “danger zone” where harmful bacteria can multiply.If you measure the temperature and it’s above 40 degrees F, use the dial to adjust the temperature so it will be colder. Use your refrigerator thermometer to measure again later.Refrigerate Food After Two Hours
Refrigerator temperatures can slow the growth of bacteria, but won’t stop it completely. This is why you should refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cut fresh fruits and

vegetables, and all cooked leftovers within two hours of cooking or purchasing and within one hour if it’s a really hot day.This is also why you can only keep perishables for a few days in the fridge.

Keep Your Fridge Clean
Bacteria can survive and some even grow in cool, moist environments like the refrigerator. Listeria can grow at temperatures below 40 degrees F.To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, clean up any spills immediately, regularly clean your fridge with hot water and soap, and keep fresh fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.And don’t think you can skip cleaning the produce bin because you only keep fruit and vegetables in there. A recent NSF International study found that the refrigerator produce compartment was the “germiest” area in consumers’ kitchens.After washing bins with hot water and liquid soap, rinse them thoroughly, and dry with a clean cloth towel or allow to air-dry outside of the refrigerator.

FoodVendors:
Do not use/eat expired egg