Forum on food-borne illnesses

Food safety regulators from more than 100 countries met in Bangkok recently to tackle the issue of food-borne illness, which each year causes illness in at least two billion people.

To address these issues, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its 5 Keys strategy at the forum. This consists of a series of five simple actions that can be undertaken while preparing and consuming food: • Keep hands and cooking surfaces clean • Separate raw and cooked food • Cook food thoroughly • Keep food stored at safe temperatures • Use safe water and raw ingredients WHO has produced a basic training manual aimed at food safety professionals, teachers and other interested organisations.