FOOD HYGIENE TO FOLLOW THIS MONSOON

During monsoon, one has to be extra careful about infections. During this season, immunity tends to weaken, making people more susceptible to diseases. Along with this, digestive enzymes have lower activity, and the digestive system becomes vulnerable to infections. Therefore, we should be extra careful about what we eat. Here are a few tips you need to follow to be healthy during this season.

1) Bread and other bakery products are susceptible to spoilage by moulds. Consume these items as soon as they are taken out of their air-tight packets.

2) Care should be exercised with milk and milk products, too, as these are susceptible to contamination and spoilage by microorganisms, particularly in the humid weather. Care should be taken not only for food items, but also for various ingredients and additives that go into preparation of the dishes. These should be kept in sealed containers, so that they are not exposed to moisture.

3) Cut fruits shouldn’t be kept out in the open. These should ideally be consumed as soon as they are cut, to avoid any contamination with microbes. Similarly fruit juices should be consumed fresh and not stored for long.

4) The storage of cooked food is important. Prepared food should ideally be consumed hot, soon after cooking. In case of consumption at a later time, it should be cooled, covered and refrigerated in order to avoid microbial contamination. Note that, while storing food in the refrigerator, cooked food should be stored in the upper shelves and raw food in the lower shelves.

5) Try to avoid street food. Most types of street foods are prepared in the open. There is a chance of contamination of the food with rain water. The stalls are sometimes located near open drains, where there is chance of contamination with coliform bacteria, which can cause diarrhoeal diseases. 6) Precautions for drinking water should be taken. During the rainy season, besides microbes, ground water can be contaminated with chemicals. The best way to ensure safe drinking water is to filter it, followed by boiling.

PREPARED FOOD, IN CASE OF LATER CONSUMPTION, SHOULD BE COOLED, COVERED AND REFRIGERATED

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