Food safety: The following advice could help you maintain a balanced diet and physical fitness throughout the monsoon season.

Highlights

• Monsoon may encourage the growth of microorganisms on meals. 
• Maintaining the safety and cleanliness of your food is crucial. 

Here are some advice from experts on avoiding food poisoning.

Experts Explain How To Prevent Food Poisoning During The Monsoon

 The monsoon rains provide a much-needed break from the summer's oppressive heat, but they also give rise to infections that are spread through food, water, and the air. Foods become a breeding ground for germs like Staphylococcus and E. coli in unhygienic circumstances, which could potentially cause food poisoning. Vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, and in more serious cases, headache, fever, and bodily discomfort, may all be symptoms. In this climate, it is crucial to choose your foods prudently in order to avoid any foodborne infections. Here are some suggestions to help you maintain a balanced diet and physical fitness during the monsoon.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasises the importance of taking four crucial actions to keep food safe in the kitchen and drive away germs.

How To Prevent Food Poisoning During The Monsoon: 

1. Clean: 

Everyone is aware of the importance of washing fruits and vegetables once they have returned from the market under running water. The CDC advises us to wash our hands frequently. Before, during, and after cooking, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. And remember to wash your hands once more just before eating. On every surface, bacteria may survive. Therefore, after coming into touch with raw or cooked food, always wash utensils, cutting boards, silverware, and counters with hot, soapy water.

2. Separate: 

The goal is to avoid cross-contamination. Always keep cooked items, particularly those that have been prepared, away from raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Germs can be easily transferred from raw foods to other meals and surfaces. So, while shopping, store them separately in supermarket bags, and use different cutting/chopping boards and knives when using them.

3. Cook: 

Food must be prepared to the proper internal temperature in order to kill any bacteria that may be present. Use a food thermometer if you are unsure whether your meat is cooked through. When utilising it, remember to abide by these rules:

• 145 degrees Fahrenheit for whole cuts of beef, veal, and lamb (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
• 145 degrees Fahrenheit or until the flesh is opaque for fish with fins
• Meats that are ground, like beef: 160 degrees F
• 165 degrees Fahrenheit for all poultry, including ground chicken and turkey
• 165° F for leftovers

Additionally, the CDC advises those who are more vulnerable to stomach illnesses to refrain from eating specific foods, including

• Raw or undercooked meat and seafood
• Sprouts that are uncooked or raw
• Fresh juices and milk
• Unless it is made using pasteurised milk, soft cheese

A healthy diet will go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe and comfortable during the rains.

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