Take care to avoid food poisoning, warn health chiefs (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Residents reminded to follow basic food hygiene rules

1:40pm Saturday 31st December 2011 in News By World reporter

HEALTH chiefs are warning residents to take extra care over New Year to avoid food poisoning.

They are advising people to follow basic hygiene rules for safe food storage, preparation and cooking.

Dr Roberto Vivancos, lead specialist for gastrointestinal illness with the Health Protection Agency’s Cheshire and Merseyside health protection unit has issued the following guidelines.

Wash and dry your hands before and after handling raw food and after using the toilet.

Wash, peel and cook raw fruit and vegetables unless they are in a package labelled ‘ready to eat’.

There is no need to wash poultry as food poisoning germs can splalsh onto the sink, worktops and other food.

Any germs on the chicken or turkey will be killed by proper cooking.