Fighting Foodborne Illnesses in Your Home
I think most of us will admit to blaming a bad tummy on that cheeky Saturday night takeaway or even the new restaurant we ate at last week. We would not even consider our own home or the food that we serve being the source of illness. Shockingly, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have now reported that, in 2016, 40% of foodborne outbreaks were caused by food consumption in the home.
When we are in our own space most of us become comfortable with our surroundings and, naturally, we feel safe in our own biome of bacteria. The problem begins when we start bringing food (and a collection of associated micro-organisms) into the equation.
Harmful bacteria causing the most concern in our kitchens include E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella and Listeria monocytogenes. Many of these species cause fever, cramping, diarrhoea and sickness in even relatively minor cases of infection.
While many of us can cope with a short spout of a foodborne illness, gastro-intestinal conditions can prove very serious or even fatal for those with weakened immune systems. This is not only those with pre-existing medical conditions: pregnant women, the elderly and the very young are also considered high risk.
What are we really serving up in our kitchens?
The report by EFSA found that meat products, particularly poultry, were most responsible for outbreaks of foodborne illnesses: quite concerning when you consider that over 97% of people in the UK are meat eaters.
Whilst we are generally very aware of the dangers associated with raw meat, there is clearly room for improvement when it comes to keeping our kitchens clean.
For example, most consumers are unaware that harmful bacteria can even be found on the outside of poultry packaging. Another reason why Biomaster has been working with UK supermarkets to reduce the risk of bacterial growth through antimicrobial packaging.
The non-profit science organisation NSF International carried out a study testing a variety of common kitchen items in the home. Shockingly, it was found that 25% of the items were contaminated with Salmonella, 25% with E.coli and 10% with Listeria.
The worst affected items being refrigerator compartments, blender gaskets, can openers, rubber spatulas and rubber sealed food storage containers. This is certainly a worry when you consider that all five of these items come in direct contact with ready to eat food. Many of us use these items to serve up food on a daily basis. Surely this fact is enough for us to recognise undeniable importance of maintaining good standards of hygiene in the home.
Reducing the risk
There is good news amongst all these scary reports: there is a way to reduce the risk of bacterial growth in your kitchen.
Biomaster antimicrobial technology provides durable 24-hour product protection against the growth of harmful micro-organisms in your kitchen.
When incorporated into the manufacturing process of a kitchen product, Biomaster becomes an integral part of the material and does not leach or migrate out. Nor does it affect the characteristics of the material in any way and offers a low cost added benefit to the product.
You can’t see, smell or even taste Biomaster.
Biomaster Protected
Our technology is already successfully incorporated into a number of household products, from washing machine and dishwasher parts, to tableware and kitchen knives.
Surely it is a logical choice to choose Biomaster protected: for that additional between clean product protection.
Find out more about Biomaster antimicrobial product protection in the home.
Want to add Biomaster protection to your product? Contact us today for your free consultation.
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