Food safety refers to the whole process of handling the preparation and storage of most foods to prevent one from getting ill. Every stage entails safe food handling practices to prevent the risk of harming the consumers. The farmers market is often the most commonplace that most people prefer to get their foods. This is mainly because it offers freshness and opportunities to buy and support the locals.
Often, vendors in the open are exposed to various contaminants such as germs, bugs, and certain pollutants. However, it is important to be mindful when buying different foods especially fruits, vegetables, and meats (Behnke, Seo, & Miller, 2012).Β Most of the farmer’s markets have their own safety rules that they have to follow, however; there are some basic guidelines that one has to follow. Farmer’s market is the best to get fresh, quality, and locally enquired foods.
On food safety, both the vendors and the consumers should adequately take part to enquire that the way they handle the food is safe. All vendors handling foods should frequently wash their hands and wear gloves while handling the food to avoid contamination (Behnke, Seo, & Miller, 2012). Gloves are worn as a secondary precaution to protect the foods from being contaminated with food-borne pathogens.
Vegetables
Meat
Cheese
Cheese is generally considered a safe food however; it still posed a risk of contamination caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Below are the steps to ensure food safety:
When visiting the farmers market, there some steps of food safety I would follow.
Before buying any food products, one should be mindful of the vendorβs booth management approaches. Maintaining proper cleanliness when handling food will prevent the risk of contaminating also on the foods (Behnke, Seo & Miller, 2012). In the same vein, foods and vegetables should be thoroughly washed before storage and cooking to reduce the risk of contamination