Most people might think that covering their food to avoid flying insects from perching on it or even washing their hands before cooking is all about food safety. Anyways, they are all part of it, but permit me to say that food safety is beyond that.
From my perspective, I will say that food safety entails the way you handle, prepare, and store your food in a manner that it won't get contaminated and become unhealthy for consumption, thereby causing a one-time runaround to the hospital later.
The purpose of eating food is basically to nourish our body, simply supply us with the needed nutrients for a functional body system, and not cause harm to our body. The thing is that the same food that nourishes the body can also harm it when we fail to handle what we put in our mouth properly.
It doesn't matter if you cook for the public for sale or at home for your family's consumption; food safety is for everyone to embrace.
The way we store both raw and cooked food matters. Take for instance sometimes last year, I remember making a pot of vegetable soup late at night, and before I could finish, I was totally tired, covered the food so tight, and fell asleep. Waking up in the morning, oh boy, the heat of the day and the one in the food caused the soup to start smelling sour. Remember, improper food storage attracts bacteria to grow in the food. It was painful to discard, but I had to to avoid eating decayed food and running to the hospital later.
You see, I didn't store the food properly, and consuming such food can harm my body rather than nourish it. Again, if I must store both raw food and cooked food in my refrigerator, then it has to be in a separate compartment and well covered in a container. I think this makes proper storage for healthy living.
Personal hygiene plays a good role for food safety. Handling my food comes with strict hygiene and devoid of carelessness. I was buying food from a vendor the other day, and just when she finished giving a customer money, she used the same hand without washing it to dish mine, omo... I politely told her to stop and wash her hand or forget about selling mine. You can't just finish touching money, and boom, you are handling the food I will eat; it's a big no!
In my home, I don't enter my kitchen without my hair cap. If you ask my sister, she will confirm that I have sent her away from my kitchen many times if she enters to join me in cooking without covering her hair. Simple hygiene matters and is very important. Imagine eating hair, lol.
One major reason why I don't fix my nails is because of food preparation at home. I like to ensure that my fingers are well trimmed in case of hidden bacteria in my nails. No, I don't want to indirectly consume bacteria. Then again, if I am sick, I don't cook. As simple as catarrh, I need a face mask if that food is very urgent.
Finally, as a mom, I’ve tried to instill these habits of maintaining personal hygiene with food in the lives of my kids. Before they touch anything, including their fruits, I always ask them loudly, "Hope you have washed your hands with soap?" Lol, it's a must routine to avoid constant hospital trips.
Overall, food safety is for everyone, no matter your status. Just take responsibility, keep it clean, and remember that prevention is much cheaper than paying for the treatment in the hospital, lol.
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