Answer :
Final answer:
To prevent foodborne illnesses, it's crucial to follow food safety practices like keeping food away from walls, regular handwashing, rotating food in the pantry, and storing and cooking food at safe temperatures.
Explanation:
Food safety practices are essential to prevent foodborne illnesses. To ensure food safety at home, it is important to keep food and supplies at least 6 inches away from the walls and off the floor. This prevents pests from accessing them easily. Regular handwashing is pivotal; always wash hands before and after handling food. Rotating food in the pantry ensures that the oldest items are used first to avoid spoilage. Proper washing of produce is necessary, even if not eating the outer skin. Cooking food to the recommended internal temperature of 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) is crucial for killing bacteria.
Maintaining the refrigerator at or below 4 degrees C (40 degrees F) and the freezer below 18 degrees C (0 degrees F) are key steps in inhibiting bacterial growth and preserving food safety. Foods should never be thawed at room temperature to prevent microbial growth. Instead, thawing in the refrigerator or using alternative quicker methods is advised.
Three main ways that food becomes contaminated are through improper storage, inadequate cooking, and poor personal hygiene. Key food safety practices such as avoiding cross-contamination, cooking to proper temperatures, and storing food correctly can prevent transmission of foodborne diseases. While the safety of genetically modified foods remains a topic of debate, current scientific consensus holds that they are as safe to eat as their non-GM counterparts.