On June 7, the Department of Enviornmental Health joined the global community in observing World Food Safety Day 2023.
The annual observation seeks to draw attention to food standards.
We joined Environmental Officers at the Cyril B Romney Tortola Pier Park on that day, as they held an event to sensitize and inform members of the public on the observation and safe food handling practices.
Environmental Health Officer Shamelle Thomas addressed our camera on this year’s theme and the details of that day’s event.
According to statistics from the World Health Organization, over 600 million people fall ill and 420 thousand people die every year from eating contaminated food.
These have been noted as “preventable deaths”.
Here are some tips from the Department of Environmental Health on how to be safer with your food.
- Pay attention to personal hygiene: Do not eat, drink, chew gum, cough or sneeze, smoke or use devices while preparing and serving food. Wash hands properly to limit the spread of germs to food, surfaces and people.
- To prevent cross contamination separate raw and cooked foods and follow the directions on cleaning and sanitizing products.
- Cook food thoroughly: Consider taking time to familiarize yourself with the recommended internal cooking temperature of each food.
- Keep foods at safe temperatures: the temperature danger zone is 40 to 140 °F or 5–60°C. Within that range germs grow rapidly and multiply. Limit the time food is stored in that zone.
- Use safe, potable water for food and drink preparation. Always use food grade containers to store ice and water.