According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 10 people get sick every year from eating unsafe food. Especially, the elderly, pregnant women, children under the age of five, people with relatively weak immunity are the main victims of this problem.
If the food is not safe, it becomes a threat to the health of the body. Because if there is a slight difference in food, various problems including stomach pain can arise from it.
At various times in Bangladesh, various types of discussions have been held after food riots. People also questioned the role of concerned departments including the Food Safety Authority.
However, according to the World Health Organization , families can prevent foodborne illness by storing food properly. In that case, some things should be followed.
IMAGE SOURCE,SHYAMAL NANDI
The first step to safe food is ‘our house’.
Experts say, the first awareness about safe food should start from one’s own house.
because how to store cooked or raw food, what to do to avoid food poisoning, whether repeated cooking of the same food is likely to spoil the quality of the food; If people are aware of more such things from the beginning, then it is possible to avoid unwanted dangers.
Recommendations for keeping food safe by the World Health Organization include maintaining cleanliness, keeping raw and cooked food separate, cooking food thoroughly, keeping food at a certain temperature, and using safe water and safe raw materials during cooking.
How to take precautions while cooking
Maintaining cleanliness of oneself and the foodstuff while cooking is one of the basic conditions. But beyond this, extra precautions need to be taken with raw food and cooked food.
For example, ready-to-eat foods ranging from raw meat, seafood, and even eggs can harbor harmful bacteria.
Therefore, the board on which raw meat is cut should not be used to cut food such as fruits or vegetables without washing it properly.
Also, one thing to keep in mind when cooking meat, poultry, eggs and seafood is to cook it at a temperature of at least 70 degrees Celsius.
According to the World Health Organization, bacteria do not grow in food if the temperature is below 5°C and above 60°C during food storage.
What happens when food is repeatedly heated?
Although WHO has specific guidelines on temperature, many common people are not aware of it.
That’s why there are many people who reheat food stored in the refrigerator by taking it out.
Samia Tasnim, a nutritionist at LabAid Hospital, said, “If you heat food repeatedly, first of all, the nutritional quality of food is lost. Second, it increases the amount of bacteria in the food.”
It is quite harmful to the stomach and causes diarrhea or indigestion.
“Again, reheating various ingredients in food can cause chemical reactions to produce toxic ingredients, which subsequently increase the risk of cancer,” he said.
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How to keep food in the fridge?
Keeping food in the fridge has become our daily habit due to the availability of refrigerators.
But nutritionists say that food should not be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. Keeping food in the fridge for a long time will cause the food to change color, taste bad and lose its nutritional value; Which is not good for health.
However, perishable foods should be refrigerated within two hours and stored at a certain temperature. But that food can’t be left in the fridge for too long.
In this case, Miz Tasnim’s advice is that food should be properly stored in the refrigerator during hot weather and stale food should not be eaten at all.
But just because food is kept in the fridge doesn’t mean it’s ‘safe’. Loadshedding is frequent at this time of the year, so even refrigerated food can grow bacteria.
He said, “The temperature of the fridge should be kept right and food should not be left outside. But we can keep food in the fridge for two days and eat it. Then it has to be cooked again.”
Meanwhile, food taken out of the fridge cannot be eaten immediately. After taking the food out of the fridge, it should be left at normal temperature for a while and heated. Even after reheating the food, do not eat it immediately and keep it at normal temperature and wait for a while.
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Food poisoning
There are many of us who bring food in polythene or plastic wrap. But taking hot food in polythene or plastic wrap is not good for the body.
This is because “as soon as hot water or hot food is poured into plastic or polythene, bisphenol-A is formed through a chemical reaction and inhibits thyroid hormones.”
Bisphenol A is a common chemical commonly used in the manufacture of plastic containers. Experts say that it has various negative effects on the human body.
“Bisphenol-A inhibits thyroid hormones. Due to this, the structure of the brain is also hindered. Bisphenol-A passes from the blood of pregnant women to the fetus. This can result in embryo damage and infertility. Also, children can also be disabled,” said Miz Tasnim.
Considering these, it is better not to take hot food in polythene or plastic. Polythene or plastic bags can be used for buying various raw foods from the market.
Therefore, it is also advised not to drink hot water in plastic bottles.
Facilitates food security in households
The World Health Organization has identified a number of benefits that can be gained from practicing food safety at home. Namely—
- Improvement in the growth and development of children in the family
- If food is safe, it increases children’s school attendance and productivity at work in adulthood
- If the food is safe, the cost of going to the doctor will also be saved
- Safe food increases workplace attendance and earning power
- A safe diet plays a role in the long-term health of the body
IMAGE SOURCE,BFSA
What is the way to ensure safe food in Bangladesh?
Now the issue of home food safety is gone, but what about eating out? How do consumers know which foods are safe for them to consume and which are unsafe?
Food Safety Authority is responsible for taking care of any food safety issue in Bangladesh. In 2013, the government passed the Safe Food Act.
Then in 2015 Bangladesh Safe Food Authority was formed under the Ministry of Food. But the organization has been able to start working in full swing since 2020.
In March of last year, during the preparation of a report on food safety, the BBC was told by a member of the organization’s food consumption and consumer rights department. Rezaul Karim said, “We have been trying to work all over Bangladesh with our very limited manpower. We have only one officer in each district. He has to look at the entire food chain.”
The official was saying that food can be unsafe at various stages from production to consumption. And in this case they identify some things.
- chemical mixture; For example, the use of fertilizers or pesticides
- Biological or microbial contamination; It can also be from environmental pollution
- food preservation; If not stored properly in proper packaging at proper temperature
- physical pollution; Which can also be from human physical touch or placement
Mr. Rezaul.
However, many analysts believe that food safety will not be ensured only if consumers are aware, but the government needs to take a stronger role in this regard.
Professor of Nutrition and Food Science Institute of Dhaka University. Nazma Shaheen was saying, “Only when awareness is created will people understand that this food is safe or not safe? All the agencies of the government which give various permissions, should work properly.”
However, if a customer feels that any food is unsafe, they can complain directly to the Bangladesh Safe Food Authority office or by email. Moreover, they can complain to the officials of different districts given on the website of the organization.
Food complaints are generally handled by the National Consumer Protection Authority. However, Mr. is also talking about legal obstacles in the field of food safety. Rezaul Karim.
“There is still no license or registration system for doing food business in Bangladesh. We are trying to bring it under law by amending the law,” he said.