Why You Must Stop Cooking With Long Nails, What Expert Says
See all the latest health news in Nigeria
A researcher has advised cooks to stop cooking with long nails. The researcher said that this could contaminate the food.
Prof Babatunde Salako, the Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, disclosed this to newsmen in an interview.
He said that contaminated food exposes consumers to various kinds of diseases.
Prof Salako warned against wearing jewellery while cooking because it can also lead to food contamination.
The NIMR boss also advised cooks to avoid cooking for the public when they are sick. He explained that sick persons could easily transmit their illnesses when they are ill.
He said:
“Germs can hide under the nails. And because women like to do all sorts of fashion with their fingernails as they keep them long and paint them, contamination could get to the food from there. That is why we always advise food handlers to cut their nails.
“You know that the hand is the most commonly used part of the body in food production and cooking food, therefore the hand needs to be clean.
“They should also avoid wearing chains and jewellery when cooking.
“Chains are worn on the neck and they directly touch the body. Food handlers can sweat while cooking and if the sweat mixes with the food it can lead to contamination.”
Salami explained further that jewellery contamination can be from where they are kept.
“You don’t wash chains before you put them on. They are more likely to serve as sources of contamination. That is why it has been advised that during cooking, all those things should not be worn,” he said.
The researcher also advised women to cover their hair while cooking.
He said, “The fact that food is cooked has provided an opportunity to reduce the risk of infections. But then, food handlers need to cover their hair because contamination can occur from the hair.
“Women do a lot of hairstyles and put things on their hair. Some of these things may bring contamination. They need to cover their hair with clean caps. That is the standard.”
He also advised cooks to take their:
The World Health Organisation has said that access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is crucial to sustaining life and promoting good health.
It says contaminated food exposes an individual to 200 diseases.
“An estimated 600 million – almost one in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year.
“US$110 billion is lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries.
“Children under 5 years of age carry 40 per cent of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year,” WHO said.
Source: Punch HealthWise
