JEDDAH, 9 January 20 — Keep clean, separate raw and cooked food, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials.
These five steps were outlined by Dr. Khalid Al-Madani, vice president of the Saudi Society for Food Nutrition, at a seminar at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Monday night.
A large number of men and women were present at the seminar and asked questions ranging from which food is safe for the family to how it should be preserved and stored.
“Hygiene is a must,” Al-Madani said, and emphasized that the home and eatery surroundings must be kept clean. “I need to mention how important is personal hygiene during food preparation,” he said, adding that it is a must to wash one’s hands before handling food — before, during and after its preparation.
The seminar was part of a campaign “Because Safety Comes First” organized by Albaik Food Systems Ltd. at the JCCI.
“The campaign has significantly raised public awareness to the point where food safety has become a priority concern in the Kingdom’s households,” I.S. AbuGhazalah, chairman of Albaik, said in a press statement.
The campaign also reminds consumers to check shelf-life expiry dates, both when buying food products and storing them at home, and to avoid buying or using frozen foods that have been defrosted then refrozen.
“We are now in the final months of the campaign and, building on the success to date, we are stepping up our efforts to spread our five key messages by extending our reach to the widest audience possible,” he added.
