Preventive Measures Against E. coli O157:H7
Illness due to contaminated food is a widespread health problem. Preventing the spread of E.coli infection requires control measures at all stages of the food chain, from agricultural production on the farm, to the preparation of foods in both commercial establishments and at home. Hygienic education is an essential step to keeping the spread of E.coli to a minimum.
Food Safety/Personal Hygiene
\\This needs a paragraph blurb to talk about the importance of personal hygiene and food safety measures before going into the specific list of measures below. Food safety regs for food establishments might be worth mentioning.\\
To protect yourself and others against the spread of E.coli infection, the CDC recommends following these simple rules:
- Wash your hands thoroughly after going to the bathroom or changing diapers
- Wash your hands thoroughly after coming in contact with cattle
- Wash your hands BEFORE and AFTER handling, preparing, and serving food
- Wash your hands after taking out the garbage
- Eat only thoroughly cooked ground beef, pork, sheep meat, or sausage. Cook ground meat products to an internal temperature of 160ºF or above.
- Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk and juices
- Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating raw
- Prevent cross contamination in food preparation areas by washing hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.
Agricultural Measures
\\The module started by addressing farming practices as a culprit of health concerns...here would be a good place to conclude the module by bringing it back to the farming practices, which would be the ultimate preventive measure. The intro blurb talked about control measures at all stages of the food chain...i.e. HACCP?\\