World Food Safety Day 2021: 5 Food Practices to Have a Healthy Lifestyle

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has heightened the concerns around health and food safety. As a result, most people now prefer to stick to their kitchens and avoid ordering food from restaurants. Even though there is an increased preference for home-cooked meals, one must still ensure that they consume safe and hygienic food. While food companies follow strict practices to ensure utmost safety in their products, as consumers, it is necessary to note that food safety is a shared responsibility.

Yes, consumers too have a significant role in the safety standards of the food they consume. Foodborne diseases can be threatening but are preventable if food is handled correctly with care and good practices. It is also necessary for consumers to know how and what they consume.

On the occasion of 'World Food Safety' day, which commenced to spread awareness of food safety to prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks, we would like to share a few simple but crucial points for consumers to have a healthier lifestyle.

Be wary of the Expiry: The first and foremost thing any consumer should do is check the product's manufacturing and expiry date. The 'best before' and 'expiry date' labels on the packaging let one know about the freshness of the product and the date up to which one can consume it safely. One crucial factor here is to ensure that the food is stored, handled, and cooked as per the recommendations given by the manufacturer. 

Look for the seal before you make the deal: People today are constantly racing against time and can barely pick an eye to even look at something as tiny as a seal. We assume that the product is packed appropriately and so we don't worry about checking it. But, it is crucial to ensure that the food one purchases are well sealed as if it's not, it might render the food product unsafe for consumption.  

Please read the label before you place it on the table: As consumers, we need to make wise and informed decisions about the food we consume. Food labels provide all the critical information about the ingredients and nutrition in the product, which is vital to keep track of what one eats. Health-sensitive ingredients, nutritional information, serving size, energy content, etc., provide one with the knowledge and transparency to judge a product and decide if one should consume it.

Know your food to prepare it well: It is vital to ensure that food is cooked according to the correct instructions, not only for it to look and taste good but also to ensure that it is safe to eat - People know it; however, sometimes they ignore it. Today most people are impatient and look forward to quick snacking solutions. So, if one wants to cater to a hygienic meal without the hassles of a prolonged cooking procedure, one can opt for frozen snacks or easy-to-cook meals that are safe and hygienic. In addition to that, one can also look for brands with a complete in-house processing unit as these products mostly have no human contact and are processed with extreme safety and hygiene. 

Clean right and store it tight: Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic spread globally, people became more conscious and started cleaning their food packages well as soon as they purchased them. However, one should also make sure to clean the food. Washing the groceries and having a deep cleaning of the storing jars will be essential to keep away viruses, bacteria, and fungus that might cause deadly diseases. Another thing is to store the food well. One must not put all their food products in the refrigerator haphazardly as each food has a specific storage requirement. Furthermore, food should be separated when using air-tight containers to avoid cross-contamination.

Health is our utmost priority always, and we must ensure that our family and we consume right. By understanding the safety standards and the above simple practices, one can look closely at what they eat and select their food more efficiently. So go ahead and practice these 5 easy, hygienic practices to live a healthier lifestyle. Stay safe and stay healthy!

About The Author: 

This article is written by Mr. Siddhartha Bumia (Associate Vice President – Operations, HyFun Foods).