Why Is Food Safety Important?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates and ensures food safety to avoid the improper handling of foods that could spread bacteria and cause sickness. Foods that are not kept cool at proper temperatures could become contaminated. Additionally, cross contamination can occur if meat products are not handled properly.
It is important to keep meat separate from other food during the preparation process. After handling meat, the FDA recommends scrubbing hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. Any utensils or knives that have been used should be fully washed and rinsed prior to using them on other foods.
Food related illness outbreaks can occur as a result of inadequate food safety controls during the production process at food plants. These outbreaks typically stem from faulty processing, packing, storage or distribution processes.
