Food safety

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Food safety

Definition

Food safety refers to the conditions and practices that preserve the quality of food to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses.

Alternative Names

Food - hygiene and sanitation

Function

Food can be contaminated in many different ways. Some food products may already contain bacteria or parasites. The germs can be spread during the packaging process if the food products are not handled properly. Failure to cook or store the food properly can cause further contamination.

Properly handling and preparing food greatly reduces the risks of getting foodborne illnesses.

References

Medeiros LC, Hillers VN, Chen G, Bergmann V, Kendall P, Schroeder M. Design and development of food safety knowledge and attitude scales for consumer food safety education. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Nov;104(11):1671-7.

Anderson JB, Shuster TA, Hansen KE, Levy AS, Volk A. A camera's view of consumer food-handling behaviors. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Feb;104(2):186-91.

Redmond EC, Griffith CJ. Consumer food handling in the home: a review of food safety studies. J Food Prot. 2003 Jan;66(1):130-61.

Review Date: 5/21/2008
Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission. URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit.

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