DOST-Caraga bats for food safety, quality

By Jennifer P. Gaitano

BUTUAN CITY, July 25 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Caraga emphasized food safety and quality to prevent consumers from illness, during the Training on Food Safety Awareness recently held at the Butuan City School of Arts and Trade.

DOST-Caraga Regional Director Dominga Mallonga said food safety means proper handling, proper preparation, and proper storage of food to avoid sickness.

“Food-borne illness is a disease transmitted to humans by food and this may be caused by bacteria that grow on food or by viruses that are spread because food is not cleaned, stored or handled properly,” said Mallonga.

Also, Olga Virginia Demata of Food Safety - DOST-Caraga said that when preparing food, proper hand washing must be observed.

“These are the ways to proper hand washing: 1) Wet hands with hot running potable water. The water should be as hot as the hands can comfortably stand; 2) Apply enough soap to build up a good lather. Soap may be liquid, powder or bar soap; 3) Rub hands together for at least 20 seconds. One fun way to do this is to sing a “Happy Birthday” song while lathering the hands; 4) Clean under fingernails and between fingers. A nail brush is recommended but avoid splashing; 5) Rinse hands thoroughly under running water; and 6) Dry hands. Hands should be dried with clean, single use, disposable paper towels or hot air blow dryer,” explained Demata.

Demata added that for food handlers who are selling their products in the market, the food should also be properly sealed.

“By considering these things in our daily living, we can all be healthy and away from any type of diseases especially the food-borne illness where one can experience stomach upset/ache and diarrhea in most cases,” Demata said.(JPG/PIA-Caraga)