Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!!!

AS we all race around town trying to get the last of the Christmas shopping done, please be sure to prevent cross-contamination of food.

Harmful bacteria can pass to raw foods to other food produce some of which we even eat raw. These germs may not cause much harm to adults but could cause very serious infections in children and other people with fragile immune systems.

Let’s give you our top tips for preventing cross-contamination while shopping.
•    If you go to the open market, be sure to go with enough shopping bags. That way you can separate your raw meats/fish from your other foods.
•    If you shop in grocery stores, separate the foods in the shopping cart. You could use the shopping carts that have two baskets. Use one for your fish and meats and use the other for your other foods.
•    When checking out your purchases at the grocery shops, ensure that the attendants keep these food stuff separate. In addition, keep dry foods separate from wet/refrigerated foods. This keeps the different food stuff fresh until you get home and store them appropriately.
•    Maintain this separation in the car, bus or taxi that you will take home. It may be more convenient to pack everything in one bag, but I assure you it is not healthier.
•    Finally, before you start cooking when you get home, be sure to wash your hands as you have handled money and loads of food stuff which may have deposited myriads of germs on your hands.

If we keep our foods safe from contamination from the time we buy them to the time we take them home, we have a better chance of ensuring they are fresh and delivering the right nutrients to us by the time we cook them.

Happy Holidays, everyone!