It is important to practise food safety to prevent an upset stomach or, more seriously, food poisoning.
What is food safety?
Food safety means preparing, storing and cooking food to keep it free from harmful bacteria or toxins that could make you or other people ill.
Simple measures, such as always washing your hands before preparing food and after touching raw meat, and storing raw meat separately from cooked meat, are important starting points.
It is especially important to think about food hygiene when catering for children, pregnant women and elderly people, for whom food poisoning can have more serious consequences.
Food labels often give you storage, preparation and cooking instructions, which you should follow.
Do not ignore 'use by' dates, as the product may not be safe to eat or drink after this time. Remember that food can also go off before its 'use by' date if it is not stored properly, so use your common sense. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for safe storage of food. If in doubt, throw it out.
Bacteria
Bacteria are tiny, single-celled organisms that live in the body. Some can cause illness and disease and some others are good for you.
Stomach
The sac-like organ of the digestive system. It helps digest food by churning it and mixing it with acids to break it down into smaller pieces.
Continue to next section: Storing and freezing food