People in Grande Prairie may soon be hitting the kitchen to cook and bake for friends and family. With the holidays quickly approaching, Alberta Health Services is reminding people to wash their hands while handling food and make sure they prepare it properly in order to reduce the risk of food poisoning.
Food Poisoning is caused by eating food contaminated with certain bacteria, viruses or parasites including salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. Some of those bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked meat, chicken or fish, raw eggs and uncooked products like dough.
In order to protect people from illnesses like food poisoning, AHS has released some tips. They are listed below:
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- Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
- Never leave meat, chicken, eggs, fish or shellfish (raw or cooked) at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Do not reheat food that has been left out at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Chill leftovers as soon as you finish eating and store them in small, shallow containers to cool rapidly.
- When buying premade foods or treats from places like a farmers markets, ask to see a copy of the seller’s food-handling permit. Anyone with concerns about a seller’s homemade goods can call their local public health office.