Food safety is a responsibility that we all share. Food producers and food processors cannot be solely responsible for the safety of our food. From the time consumers purchase food, they must be responsible for safe food handling. Cross contamination, which is the transfer of potentially harmful organisms from one food to another, is one of the most common food safety mistakes, yet one of the easiest to correct. Children who do not yet have fully developed immune systems, the elderly and people who may have compromised immune systems, like those undergoing chemotherapy, have a greater risk.
Food borne illness can, however, affect anyone.
To learn more about reducing food safety risks in the home, Kansans can contact their local Extension office. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.