Issues Associated with Food - Essay Example

Regardless of where the food came from, food-borne illnesses can be a huge problem.
Proper education and handling of food are very important. Individuals can properly educate themselves on safe food handling by researching websites, news articles and magazines. One can start off by becoming educated with food and proper nutrition by recognizing common safety issues. Common food safety issue knowledge can prevent many illnesses.

To start, it’s important to identify food storage and how proper food storage can prevent illness. Storing food requires most foods to be stored at a certain temperature in a sealed container. The USDA requires that food be stored frozen at a zero degree temperature in order to remain safe. (USDA 2011) Keeping food covered while in refrigerators and important to prevent cross-contamination in foods.

The purchasing of food is something that needs to be addressed to keep those purchasing the food properly informed about what is safe and what is not. As stated earlier, the food needs to be stored properly. This is important for packagers and sellers. The buyer needs to be aware of how the foods have been stored. Being aware of how foods are stored is practicing good food safety.

When shopping for food, one needs to look at the way the food is stored, the packaging and the date of the food. Meat and eggs are two of the most important foods that need to be stored properly and prepared for sale. A buyer needs to be aware of the age of the food and where it came from. Purchasing old meat or eggs can cause many food-borne illnesses and that is why proper food storage and knowledge about purchases is so important. While purchasing, buyers also need to look out for the way the food is presented. Many types of meat can be dyed to look fresher than they really are. An article by really natural, explains, “Buyers shouldn’t be fooled into buying really red meat”. (Really Natural 2006) It is important to focus on a date as well as color.

These issues associated with food can easily be avoided. Food contamination can be avoided by proper storage, cooking, and purchasing. Storage is important but cooking foods and preparing them for consumption needs to be perfect. Every meat must be cooked to a certain temperature in order for bacteria and viruses that could be in the meats to be killed. Cooking to the proper temperature can be achieved by using a meat thermometer. More information can be found on proper food temperatures by viewing the USDA website.

This website gives all the proper education regarding food cooking temperatures.
When dealing with nutrition and the researching of information it is critical that the information is credible. Credible information can be found on websites that are from government agencies or universities. If information is from a secondary source, it is important to check the sources of the secondary source. This is why it’s better to stick with government websites as they are the most credible.

As one can see, food-bourne illnesses and other foot problems can be completely avoided. These illnesses can be avoided through proper storage, handling, purchasing and cooking. Individuals need to constantly remain educated on what to do and not to do regarding food. Seeking credible sources is key and making sure others in the household are educated as well. Don’t be afraid to challenge grocery stores and ask questions regarding purchased food. They might be able to provide important information.