FSA food hygiene campaign

Age Cymru is backing a new campaign from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) which is reminding people to wash raw vegetables to help minimise the risk of food poisoning.

The campaign is in response to recent E. coli outbreaks linked to soil on raw vegetables and another caused by contaminated sprouted seeds.

Claire Bottomley, Age Cymru's Healthy Ageing Manager says:

"We all know how important it is to take care when we're preparing meat and fish to cook, but many of us are probably overlooking the importance of washing fruit and vegetables thoroughly before we eat or cook them.

"This is why Age Cymru is supporting this important campaign which is raising public awareness of the risk of food poisoning from vegetables."

The FSA has issued the following guidance to the public about preparing fruit and vegetables:

• Always wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw food, including vegetables;
• Keep raw foods, including vegetables, separate from ready-to-eat foods;
• Use different chopping boards, knives and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods, or wash thoroughly in between preparing different foods;
• Unless packaging around vegetables says ‘ready-to-eat' you must wash, peel or cook them;

Visit the Food Standards Agency's website for further information.