CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela – DOST RO2 in collaboration with Cauayan City Health Office and Isabela State University- Cauayan conducts Food Safety Training as part of the 1st International CCA and DRRM to food handlers and managers in the city, October 24, 2018.

ISU-Cauayan Food Technologist Ruby Elumbra discussed Basic Food Hygiene particularly on food selection basis, food storage, and food safety tips to 50 food handlers-participants.

Cauayan is also one of the cities that implements food safety grading standard as an ordinance to measure and assure food products and services safeness.

Food Safety refers to handling, preparing and storing food in a way to best reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from foodborne illnesses.

Food safety is a global concern that covers a variety of different areas of everyday life.

The principles of food safety aim to prevent food from becoming contaminated and causing food poisoning. This is achieved through a variety of different avenues, some of which are:

●► Properly cleaning and sanitising all surfaces, equipment and utensils
●► Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene, especially hand-washing
●► Storing, chilling and heating food correctly with regards to temperature, environment and equipment
●► Implementing effective pest control
●► Comprehending food allergies, food poisoning and food intolerance

Regardless of why you are handling food, whether as part of your job or cooking at home, it is essential to always apply the proper food safety principles. Any number of potential food hazards exist in a food handling environment, many of which carry with them serious consequences.

When referring to food safety, the ownership is placed solely on the business itself. It must ensure that all food handled and prepared in the business is safe to eat. In order to help the food business fulfill this obligation, most are required to employ a trained Food Safety Supervisor.

For those who wish to gain a basic understanding of everyday food safety, typically so they can handle food safely in a commercial environment, there is the Food Handler course that DOST can offer thru the Cagayan Valley Food Safety Team. Both of these courses, although mainly completed by people who work in the food industry, are a great way for anyone to obtain a fundamental understanding of the food safety principles and how to apply them.

Plenty of useful information on some of the food safety issues that arise daily is also included as a free resource on websites. However, if you are looking to gain more in-depth knowledge of food safety, as well as the legislation that applies to food businesses, then you should consider a Food Safety Supervisor or Food Handler course.

#dostPH #FoodSafetyForThePeople #1stCCA_DRRM