Parent’s attitude to food hygiene has a large influence on their children’s attitudes even into later life, a Food Standard Agency study has suggested. The figures show a link between people’s hygiene and food preparation habits as adults and that which they were exposed to as children.
70% of adults said that as children their parents insisted on hand washing before meals of which 62% still carry out this practise. However, what the study has also revealed is that many children pick up bad habits from their parents which they then carry on into later life.
Bob Martin, food safety expert at the FSA, said: ‘Our survey suggests that mum doesn’t always know best when it comes to food safety.’ 32% of people who wash raw chicken said that they do so because a parent or relative did as they were growing up. This bad practise, which has no actual benefits, is known to spread the bacteria campylobacter as the water droplets splash germs onto hands, work surfaces and kitchen equipment. Campylobacter is the cause of a severe form of food poisoning causing fever, diarrhoea and vomiting and in some cases even being fatal.
Additionally, incorrect temperature of food in storage is a major factor in food poisoning that can be controlled.
To find out how Abacus Guardian can help you monitor your food storage, to prevent the dangers of food poisoning, call us on 01582 52 80 82 today.