Promote safe food handling behaviours among all consumers and food handlers (2). Key messages include the following.
Keep clean
· Wash hands before handling food and often during food preparation.
· Wash hands after going to the toilet.
· Wash and sanitize all surfaces and equipment used for food preparation.
· Protect kitchen areas and food from insects, pests and other animals.
Separate raw and cooked
· Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods.
· Use separate equipment and utensils, such as knives and cutting-boards, for handling raw foods.
· Store food in containers to avoid contact between raw and prepared foods.
Cook thoroughly
· Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood.
· Bring foods like soups and stews to boiling to make sure that they have reached 70°C. For meat and poultry, make sure that juices are clear, not pink. Ideally, use a thermometer to ensure proper temperature.
· Reheat cooked food thoroughly.
Keep food at safe temperatures
· Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
· Refrigerate promptly all cooked and perishable food (preferably below 5°C).
· Keep cooked food piping hot (more than 60°C) prior to serving.
· Do not store food too long even in the refrigerator.
· Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature.
Use safe water and raw materials
· Use safe water or treat it to make it safe.
· Select fresh and wholesome foods.
· Choose foods processed for safety, such as pasteurized milk.
· Wash fruits and vegetables, especially if eaten raw.
· Do not use food beyond its expiry date.
Health, agro-food
Community, workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
VED.VB.ZZ
Awareness raising to influence hygiene behaviours
VED.PM.ZZ
Education in relation to hygiene behaviours
Promote growing safer fruits and vegetables (3). Key messages include the following.
Practise good personal hygiene
· Wand dry hands with a clean, dry towel after toilet use, diapering a child and contact with animals.
· Change clothes and bathe regularly.
· Cover cuts, lesions and wounds.
· Use a toilet or latrine to urinate or defecate.
Protect fields from animal faecal contamination
· Keep animals from roaming in a growing field.
· House livestock downhill from growing fields in a fenced area.
· Remove trash from in and around growing fields.
Use treated faecal waste
· Use faecal waste (manure and human excreta) that is properly treated.
· Apply treated faecal waste to fields prior to planting.
· Maximize the time between the application of treated faecal waste and harvest.
Evaluate and manage risks from irrigation water
· Identify all water sources relevant to the growing field.
· Be aware of the risk of microbial contamination of water.
· Protect water from faecal contamination.
· Apply control measures when using contaminated water or water of unknown quality.
Keep harvest and storage equipment clean and dry
· Wash harvest and storage equipment with clean water and dry before use.
· Keep containers off the ground before, during and after harvesting.
· Remove visible dirt and debris from fruits and vegetables in the field.
· Cool fruits and vegetables quickly after harvest or when intended for storage.
· Limit access of animals, children and other non-workers to the harvest and storage areas.
Health, agro-food
Community, work-place
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
VED.VB.ZZ&UGR
Awareness raising in relation to hygiene behaviours
Agriculture
Promote safer aquaculture products (3). Key messages include the following.
Practise good personal hygiene
· Use a toilet or latrine to urinate or defecate.
· Wash and dry hands with a clean, dry towel after toilet use, diapering a child and contact with animals.
· Cover cuts, lesions and wounds when working around fishponds.
· Wash hands and change clothes after working around the fishponds and harvesting fish.
· Locate fishponds away from latrines, livestock and poultry.
· Choose a pond site where the chance of contamination with heavy metals or other harmful chemicals is low.
· Remove weeds, rubbish chemical containers and old equipment from pond site.
· Keep livestock and poultry in an area that prevents access to the fishpond.
Manage water quality
· Select a water source that has a very low chance of contamination with heavy metals, other chemicals and harmful microorganisms.
· Prevent people and animals, including ducks, geese and pets, from flying over, wading or swimming in fishponds.
· Keep rubbish, food and faecal waste removed from the home away from the fishpond.
· Do not pen animals over the fishpond.
Keep fish healthy
· Stock ponds to the proper density with healthy fish seed stock from a certified hatchery or reliable supplier.
· Maintain stock at the proper density in the growing pond.
· Remove and dispose of sick and dead fish daily.
· Avoid using unapproved chemicals to maintain fish health.
Use clean harvest equipment and containers
· Wash harvest containers and equipment with clean water.
· Harvest fish early in the day and transport live or cool quickly.
· Use clean water to wash harvested fish.
· Keep harvested fish in clean containers on non-porous material.
Health, agro-food
Community, workplace
Universal health-coverage
Information, education and communication
VEB.VB.ZZ#ISIC Class 032
Awareness raising in relation to hygiene behaviours
Aquaculture
UBN.VB.ZZ#ISIC Class 032
Awareness raising in relation to water quality
Aquaculture
Promote healthy and safe food markets (4). Many of the key messages listed in the three sections above apply here. Additional points include the following.
Healthy and safe food markets
· Ensure the provision of safe and nutritious food.
· Seek to improve food safety from production to consumption.
· Foster partnerships between suppliers, government and consumers.
More detailed information on food hygiene can be found in the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius basic texts on food hygiene (5).
Health, agro-food
Community, workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication, other management and control
UAB.VB.ZZ#ISIC Group 462#ISIC Class 4721
Awareness raising in relation to hygiene behaviours
Wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals
Retail sale of food in specialized stores
+
UAB.PM.ZZ#ISIC Group 462#ISIC Class 4721
Education in relation to hygiene behaviours
Wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals
Retail sale of food in specialized stores
+
UAB.WI.QE#ISIC Group 462#ISIC Class 4721
Enforcement through laws or standards in relation to hygiene behaviours
Wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals
Retail sale of food in specialized stores
Develop or update national standards and regulation for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture and aquaculture in line with the WHO guidelines (4). This includes the setting of health-based targets that define a level of health protection relevant to each hazard.
For setting and achieving the health-based targets the following steps are important.
· Routinely assess health risks associated with the use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture or aquaculture, for example through microbial and chemical laboratory analysis, epidemiological studies and quantitative microbial (and chemical) risk assessment.
· Identify health protection measures (covered below).
· Monitor and assess the system (covered below).
Note: The WHO guidelines generally apply to the use of domestic wastewater. Industrial wastewater usually poses greater risks, which may require different precautions and measures (4).
Water/ sanitation, agro-food, health
National
Regulation, assessment and surveillance
UBN.WI.QD&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Restrictions through enactment of laws or standards in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Implement risk management strategies/health protection measures/control strategies for achieving the health-based targets related to the use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture or aquaculture (4).
Often a combination of measures will be needed. Examples of key measures and messages include the following.
For the protection of consumers
· Treat wastewater and excreta used in agriculture/aquaculture.
· Use lower quality effluents to irrigate nonvegetable crops or those that are not eaten uncooked (crop restriction).
· Apply wastewater application techniques that minimize contamination (e.g. drip irrigation).
· Allow pathogen die-off after the last wastewater application.
For the protection of workers and their families
· Treat wastewater and excreta used in agriculture/aquaculture.
· Use PPE during handling.
· Provide access to safe drinking-water and sanitation facilities.
· Implement disease vector and intermediate host control.
· Reduce vector contact.
For the protection of local communities
· Treat wastewater and excreta used in agriculture/aquaculture.
· Restrict access to irrigated fields, hydraulic structures and aquacultural facilities.
· Provide access to safe recreational water, especially for adolescents.
· Provide access to safe drinking-water and sanitation facilities.
· Implement disease vector and intermediate host control.
· Reduce vector contact.
Water/sanitation, agro-food, health
National, community, workplace
Universal health coverage
Other management and control, regulation, infrastructure, technology and built environment
UBN.WI.QE&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Enforcement of restrictions through laws or standards in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Consistently monitor and assess health risks of wastewater, excreta and greywater use in agriculture and aquaculture (4).
The most effective means of consistently ensuring safety in wastewater, excreta or greywater use in agriculture or aquaculture is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in the process, from the generation and use of wastewater, excreta or greywater to product consumption.
System assessment aims to establish a comprehensive understanding of the system, the range and magnitude of hazards, the magnitude of risk levels and the ability of existing processes and infrastructure to manage actual or potential risks.
Water/sanitation, agro-food, health
National, community, workplace
Universal health coverage
Assessment and surveillance
UBN.VC.ZZ&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Public health surveillance in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Seek community and stakeholder participation early on and in all phases of
wastewater, excreta or greywater use in agriculture or aquaculture (4).
Water/sanitation, agro-food
National, community, workplace
Governance
UBN.TD.ZZ&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Collaborating in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Implement management strategies for reducing negative environmental impacts of wastewater, excreta and greywater use (e.g. contamination of surface waters, groundwater and increase in soil salinity).
Strategies are dependent on the polluting agent and are further detailed in Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture and aquaculture (4).
Water/sanitation, agro-food, environment
National, community, workplace
Other management and control
UBN.VA.ZZ&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Capacity building in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
+
UBN.VB.ZZ&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Awareness raising in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Communicate and educate communities and other stakeholders about potential health risks and health protection measures related to the use of wastewater, excreta or greywater in agriculture and aquaculture (4).
Health, water/sanitation, agro-food
Community, workplace
Universal health coverage
Information, education and communication
UBN.VB.ZZ&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Awareness raising in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
+
UBN.PM.ZZ&UEV&UGR#ISIC class 032
Education in relation to water quality
Waste collection and disposal services, systems and policies
Agriculture
Aquaculture
· WHO 2006: The Five keys to safer food manual (2)
This guidance provides key messages, resources and training materials about safer food practices.
· FAO/IFAD/UNICEF/WFP/WHO 2020: The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2020. Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets (6)