Food Hygiene, Food borne disease and Food Sanitation Law

Food hygiene is the observance of sanitary rules by food handlers to prevent contamination, food poisoning and food borne diseases.

Apart from kitchen and personal hygiene, it is important that all foods should be kept clean. The food rich in nutrients is also a good environment for micro- organisms to thrive. The spoilage of food can be caused by the following ways:

1. Micro organisms
2. Food enzymes
3. Chemical reactions on food.

Microorganisms spoils food by making use of nutrients thereby causing their decay e.g. bacteria, mould and yeast. Food enzymes could bring about spoilage by promoting reaction that could lead to the decomposition of the food components.

The presence of chemicals in the food can also lead to spoilage of food or enhance the activities of microorganisms and food enzymes; be sure that food stuffs purchased are wholesome and free from traces of contamination.

RULES FOR FOOD HYGIENE

1. Buy food stuffs from a clean environment or market.
2. Store perishable and non-perishable foods correctly.
3. Cover food with a good lid.
4. Use clean water for cooking.
5. Cover food during preparation to prevent flies from landing on it.
6. Preserve left over food well.
7. Avoid buying dented or swollen canned food stuffs.

FOOD BORNE DISEASES

The consequence of consumption of any contaminated foods are the development of diseases called food borne diseases. These diseases can be classified into two:

1. Food poisoning.
2. Food infection.

FOOD POISONING: refers to an illness caused by toxin or poison which are usually produced by micro-organisms as a result of chemicals in the food e.g. salmonella.

FOOD INFECTION: refers to an illness caused by a pathogenic organism carried by the food and transmitted to man e.g. staphylococcus, clostridium botulin.

While an organism that causes food infections are called salmonella, the presence of presence of poisonous chemicals in food can also lead to food poisoning in the food such as lead, mercury, cobalt etc. food poisoning or food infection can either be mild or severe: when it is accompanied by intestinal pain and subdued after some hours, it is referred to as being mild. In severe cases, the hospital should be consulted as quickly as possible because it can lead to death.

Symptoms are; stomach upset, frequent stooling, may result to death.

                               FOOD SANITATION LAW.

Food sanitation law are the rules regulations made by the appropriate government authority with respect to hygienic handling of food to prevent the consumers from purchasing contaminated food. In Nigeria the federal government promulgated a decree that made consumers to know how to avoid buying contaminated food and also made provision for its enforcement and prosecution of offenders.

The laws includes:

1.  No person should sell any article of food which has in it or upon it any poisonous or harmful substance.
2.  If it is unfit for human consumption.
3. If it consists of whole or in part any filthy, disgusting, rotten or diseased substance.
4. No person should sell any article of food or any drug that is adulterated.
5. No person should sell any article or food which was manufactured, prepared, preserved, packaged or stored under unsanitary condition.

EVALUATION: 1. state the differences between food poisoning and food infection.

2. State 2 food sanitation law.

ASSIGNMENT: state the functions of NAFDAC and standard organization of Nigeria.