Food Safety

While food contains all the nutrients that the body requires and benefits from it can also be a carrier of substances and microorganisms (living or otherwise) which cause harm to the body. Foods that we need for our sustenance and growth, also provide material for the sustenance and growth of a host of microorganisms. Some of these microorganisms can cause a great deal of harm to the human body. Therefore, it is imperative that through all the stages of producing, handling, storage. preparation and serving, food is kept safe from such contamination. In this unit we will talk about he types of contamination and how to protect our foods from them. We will also discuss the problem of accidental  or deliberate addition of undesirable material to food. This is called  adulteration. How do we detect  this? You will find some answers In  this unit. Finally, we talk about measures that have been taken to protect and ensure supply of safe food to consumers. 

Objectives 

After studying this unit, you will be able to: 

• identify ways in which you can protect your food from different types of food contamination, 
• list substances that are accidentally or intentionally added to food items, 
• describe the hazards of food adulteration, and 
• apply laws and standards regarding food quality and safety that have been promulgated in our country, to protect your interests.