The Importance of Food Safety and Security

Food safety remains a serious issue in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FoodSafety.gov, “Food poisoning – any illness or disease that results from eating contaminated food – affects millions of Americans each year.”

The HHS then provides specific numbers: “While the American food supply is among the safest in the world, the Federal government estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year. And each year these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.” These are serious statistics that need both serious attention and serious solutions.

What Does Proper Food Safety and Security Look Like?

Proper food safety and security should be of paramount importance within all areas of the food and beverage industry. There should be no question that optimal safety is always being achieved.

Proper food safety starts with the individuals who are handling and overseeing the food and the food preparation process. These individuals must be certified and competent in what they are doing. The next step of food safety has to do with regulations that ensure the food served to people is safe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains several common mistakes that can lead to food poisoning. Most of these mistakes have to do with food temperatures. For example, according to the CDC, “Harmful germs can grow in perishable foods (including meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, eggs, cut fruit, cooked rice, and leftovers) if you leave them out of the refrigerator 2 hours or longer.” Other temperature mistakes include not cooking certain foods, like fish or poultry, properly.

The Importance of Food Safety and Security

Most people might not even think about food safety because they have not been significantly affected by it. However, as previously mentioned, food safety can mean the difference between life and death.

Food safety and security are important because they also have other ramifications, albeit less life-threatening. If food is handled and packaged properly, the essential nutrients that food provides stay intact. For example, if someone does not follow temperature guidelines and packages food after its “prime,” there can be problems. While the food may not always make someone sick, the nutrients in the food will be significantly diminished.

This lack of nutrients may seem like a small thing. However, over time, if people aren’t getting the nutrients they need, they could become ill and experience decreased quality of life. As one can see, the concept of food safety and security extends beyond the topic of foodborne illnesses.

Ensuring the Fundamental Food Rights and Safety of Those in Need

People have the right to safe food no matter where they come from. Unfortunately, many people who are older or come from lower socioeconomic communities receive food that is subjected to less food safety and security scrutiny.

What’s more, many people who require certain diets, including those with diabetes, often do not consume proper diets. Without eating properly for their condition, those people can be putting their future health at risk. A lack of knowledge or access can reduce how safe and secure people can become. When people consume foods that are not designed to help them thrive, they are putting their safety in jeopardy. Also, on the topic of diabetes, many people don’t realize just how prevalent this disease is in the United States.

The Prevalence of Diabetes

According to the CDC, “38.4 million people have diabetes (11.6% of the US population).” The CDC also states that “97.6 million people aged 18 years or older have prediabetes (38.0% of the adult US population), [and] 27.2 million people aged 65 years or older (48.8%) have prediabetes.”

This is a significant amount of people, many of whom are struggling because of the unhealthy and therefore unsafe foods they are eating. Fortunately, this is where LifeSpring Home Nutrition comes in. Our medically tailored meals (MTM) with convenient delivery can help those who need safe, convenient, and optimally healthy food.

Creating Safe, Healthy, and Satisfying Meals at LifeSpring Home Nutrition

LifeSpring Home Nutrition has been family owned and operated for nearly 30 years. Instead of outsourcing our work, we make sure we are involved in every aspect of our business. That means we personally verify that our preparation and delivery processes are completely safe and secure. We monitor all aspects of our business carefully.

Additionally, we are licensed and certified to ensure that our meals are safe and free from anything that may cause illness or harm. Our preparation and packaging processes ensure that nutrients remain in our food. What’s more, our meal plans ensure that our clients’ food-related medical needs are met.

Healing at the Cellular Level With LifeSpring Home Nutrition

Here at LifeSpring Home Nutrition, we believe that “food is medicine.” This is why we take our food safety and security standards extremely seriously.

Life is too short to worry about getting sick from the foods we eat. At LifeSpring Home Nutrition, our clients never have to worry about that.

Proper food handling, preparation, and storage are vital for the safety of everyone. Here at LifeSpring Home Nutrition, we have a highly developed process for creating safe and healthy meals that are also highly satisfying and enjoyable. We also feel it is important for the overall safety of our communities to provide affordable meals to those in medical and financial need. If you feel like you or someone you love can benefit from healthy, medically tailored meals (MTM) with convenient delivery at affordable prices, we can help. For more information about honoring your hunger in healthy ways and balancing both emotional and physical aspects of eating, call LifeSpring Home Nutrition today at (800) 798-5767.