Education is a key tool to protect consumer interests. In this section of our website, you will find with advice on as well as tips on various important consumer topics.
Shop Safe on the Internet
Be wise
- Know who you’re dealing with
- Protect your privacy
- While online order only on a secure server
- Guard your online password
- Pay the safest way
Know your rights
- Check the refund and return policy
- Read the fine print
- Check delivery dates
- Review warranties
Get the best deals
- Compare prices
- Check shipping and handling fees
- Order early to allow plenty of time for shipment and delivery
Keep good records
- Track your purchases
- Keep receipts & website printouts
Shop Safe on the Internet
Be wise
- Know who you’re dealing with
- Protect your privacy
- While online order only on a secure server
- Guard your online password
- Pay the safest way
Know your rights
- Check the refund and return policy
- Read the fine print
- Check delivery dates
- Review warranties
Get the best deals
- Compare prices
- Check shipping and handling fees
- Order early to allow plenty of time for shipment and delivery
Keep good records
- Track your purchases
- Keep receipts & website printouts
How can Consumers Reduce the Risk of Food borne Illness From Fresh Produce?
Food borne illness can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons with food borne illness can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Following are some steps that consumers can take to reduce the risk of food borne illness from fresh produce:
- At the store, purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged. If buying fresh cut produce, be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
- At home, chill and refrigerate foods. After purchase, put produce that needs refrigeration away promptly. (Fresh whole produce such as bananas and potatoes do not need refrigeration.) Fresh produce should be refrigerated within two hours of peeling or cutting. Leftover cut produce should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Wash hands often. Hands should be washed with hot soapy water before and after handling fresh produce, or raw meat, poultry, or seafood, as well as after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets.
- Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables with cool tap water immediately before eating. Don’t use soap or detergents. Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Cut away any bruised or damaged areas before eating.
- Wash surfaces often. Cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops should be washed with hot soapy water and sanitized after coming in contact with fresh produce, or raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Sanitize after use with a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water.
- Don’t cross contaminate. Use clean cutting boards and utensils when handling fresh produce. If possible, use one clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. During food preparation, wash cutting boards, utensils or dishes that have come into contact with fresh produce, raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Do not consume ice that has come in contact with fresh produce or other raw products.
- Use a cooler with ice or use ice gel packs when transporting or storing perishable food outdoors, including cut fresh fruits and vegetables.
Following these steps will help reduce the risk of food borne illness from fresh produce.
How can Consumers Reduce the Risk of Food borne Illness From Fresh Produce?
Food borne illness can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons with food borne illness can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Following are some steps that consumers can take to reduce the risk of food borne illness from fresh produce:
- At the store, purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged. If buying fresh cut produce, be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
- At home, chill and refrigerate foods. After purchase, put produce that needs refrigeration away promptly. (Fresh whole produce such as bananas and potatoes do not need refrigeration.) Fresh produce should be refrigerated within two hours of peeling or cutting. Leftover cut produce should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Wash hands often. Hands should be washed with hot soapy water before and after handling fresh produce, or raw meat, poultry, or seafood, as well as after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets.
- Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables with cool tap water immediately before eating. Don’t use soap or detergents. Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Cut away any bruised or damaged areas before eating.
- Wash surfaces often. Cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops should be washed with hot soapy water and sanitized after coming in contact with fresh produce, or raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Sanitize after use with a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water.
- Don’t cross contaminate. Use clean cutting boards and utensils when handling fresh produce. If possible, use one clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. During food preparation, wash cutting boards, utensils or dishes that have come into contact with fresh produce, raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Do not consume ice that has come in contact with fresh produce or other raw products.
- Use a cooler with ice or use ice gel packs when transporting or storing perishable food outdoors, including cut fresh fruits and vegetables.
Following these steps will help reduce the risk of food borne illness from fresh produce.
Why use labels?
It would be difficult to imagine life without labels. In today’s pre-packed world they’re essential to provide the customer, with enough basic information to identify one product from another and allow the manufacturer some additional space to advertise. Quite a few goods carry labels which:
- tell you what the goods are made from
- warn you about possible dangers from use or abuse
- re-assure you about quality or safety
- advise you on how to look after goods
- tell you where they were made
- give you instructions for use.
Steel cutlery must be labeled to show the consumer which country it came from. Other goods don’t have to be labeled with their country of origin unless they appear to have been made in Britain but have actually been made abroad e.g. if you see something labeled with a Union jack but it was actually made in Taiwan, then the label should read ‘Made in Taiwan’.
Many use symbols instead of words. Their makers work on the theory that symbols simplify a message and so can be understood more easily by everyone. Manufacturers who export goods favor them because they do away with the need to print different sets of labels in different languages so it saves them money. It seems that there are a lot of people who ignore the label simply because they don’t understand what it means. A label might:
- Describe a product
It could tell you what it’s made of, what it contains, or how much it weighs or measures. The law says that labels must be accurate and tell you the truth. Nearly all pre-packed food has to be marked with its weight and a list of ingredients.
- Warn about possible dangers
Some things must by law carry warning label e.g. electrical goods and paraffin oil heaters or oil lamps have to be clearly labeled with a description of how to use them.
Source: http://www.consumereducation.org.uk/shopping/english/labelling/01.htm
Energy Safety
It is important that you use energy safely. If you have an open fire, use a fireguard if there is no one in the room. If there are small children in the house, a fireguard should always be used. Oil can be dangerous in a portable heater as it burns easily, so the heater should be put on a level surface.
Gas: If gas burns in an area where there is too little oxygen it gives off carbon monoxide, which is very toxic and can kill. With oxygen, this turns to carbon dioxide, which is less toxic and is the same gas we give off when we breathe out. Just as we need fresh air to breathe, so gas appliances need fresh air to work safely. If you’re using gas for cooking or central heating, you must have plenty of fresh air circulating. It cuts down on condensation too. If gas is allowed to leak into an enclosed space, it may explode if there is a naked flame or electrical fault. Specially trained people or the Gas Board must fit gas appliances.
Electricity: Electricity is forced round a circuit by the voltage (24Ov), which produces a current flow measured in amps. Appliances of different power (wattage) allow different flows of current. A high wattage appliance such as an electric fire takes a high current; a lamp takes a low current.
Electricity flows along wires from a good conductor such as copper. The wires are then covered with an insulating material like plastic, which stops the current flowing through your body when you switch on the appliance.
We connect up high wattage appliances such as fires or toasters with an extra wire known as the earth wire. If there is a faulty connection, the current flows to earth through the wire instead of through our bodies. There is also a safety device in the plug called a fuse. A fuse is a device containing a wire, which melts when too high a current surges through it. This creates a gap in the circuit, which stops the current flowing until the fault is found and put right. Most appliances take a 3 amp or a 13-amp fuse and it’s very important that you fit the correct one. Always check the fuse – it’s your protection against overloading the electrical circuit. The wrong strength fuse can cause appliances to overheat and could start a fire. Because it’s very important to connect up the system correctly, the wires in the plug are color-coded.
- Brown wire – Live
- Blue wire – Neutral
- Green/Yellow stripe – Earth
It is very dangerous if these colored wires are not connected up to the right terminals in the plug, which match other wires, which lie behind the socket. If there’s a fault, anyone using the appliance could be fatally electrocuted. You should learn how to fit a plug – but don’t try to connect one up unless you are absolutely certain that you can do it properly.
Beware of water: A wet human body becomes a good conductor of electricity so don’t have direct switches in the bathroom. All switches for wall hung heaters or showers must be pull switches, and never put electric appliances in the bathroom from a landing socket. Take care when you are using water in the kitchen. Always wipe your hands before you switch on an appliance, and never flick a switch with a knife.
More do’s and don’ts
- do not put a rug over an electric cable. It could wear out the insulation.
- do not use an appliance e.g. iron, which has a high wattage, from a light socket.
- do not overload a socket outlet by having too many appliances in an adaptor.
- make sure that plugs are wired correctly and that the outer insulating cover of the cable is fastened securely by the cord holder.
Source: http://www.consumereducation.org.uk/environment/english/energy/08.htm
Buying Appliances
Guarantees: When you buy an electrical or gas appliance, the law says that it must do its job properly, and it’s up to the retailer (the shop) to make sure that it does. Most goods today are sold with something called a guarantee from the manufacturer. When you take a new radio home, for example, there will probably be a guarantee form in the box and it will tell you to sign it and send it away to the manufacturer. It’s worth sending off because it could provide some extra protection for you if something goes wrong with the radio. But always remember – if you buy something and it doesn’t work properly, you can take it back to the shop. A guarantee is an added bonus. It doesn’t take away your right to ask the shop for your money back.
Source: http://www.consumereducation.org.uk/environment/english/energy/09.htm
Money: What is credit?
Buying on Credit means having something now and paying for it later. You can choose the computer you want now and use it while you pay for it. There’s no need to save for months and no need to dip into any savings you might have.
Remember… using credit involves borrowing someone else’s money and it can be expensive. You will usually end up paying back more than you borrow, as the lender will probably charge interest. The lender is in business and aims to make a profit.
It pays to shop around and the same principle applies to credit deals. Some are much more expensive than others because different companies charge different interest rates. Look out for the letters ‘APR’, usually followed by a percentage (%) e.g. ‘APR 20%’. You’ll see them on lots of advertisements for credit in newspapers, shop windows and leaflets. Where the period of the loan is the same, the lower the ‘APR’ the better the deal.
Buying on credit can be very costly, so you must think very carefully before you commit yourself and not just hope you’ll be able to afford the repayments. Do your sums and try to make sure that you will. Think about what would happen if you suddenly had to cope with a drop in income such as losing your job.
Never let yourself be pressurized into taking out a credit agreement. Don’t sign any agreement until you’ve read it and can understand it
Businesses associated with credit:
Credit brokers
- Tries to find you credit, because you find it difficult to get credit yourself
- You have to pay the broker a fee or commission which is high
Credit insurers
- It is possible to take out insurance to cover your credit repayments
- It provides for the repayment of installments which you cannot make because of loss of income through unemployment or sickness, and repayment of the whole debt if you die
- You pay the premium for the insurance policy as well as repaying the debt
Debt collectors
- They ‘buy’ bad debts from finance houses for a small sum and then try to recover the debt themselves
Debt counselors
- Advise you if you have difficulty in repaying debts
- They charge a fee for this
- They may give you advice or negotiate on your behalf with creditors e.g. to get the repayment period extended
Source: http://www.consumereducation.org.uk/money/english/credit/01.htm
Top 10 tips for cross border shopping
- Γνωρίστε τον πωλητή. Να είστε βέβαιοι ότι έχετε μια διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου, ταχυδρομική διεύθυνση και αριθμό τηλεφώνου. Τα στοιχεία αυτά πρέπει να δίνονται από τους πωλητές στη βάση των Οδηγιών της ΕΕ.
- Βεβαιωθείτε ότι γνωρίζετε τι αγοράζετε. Ελέγξτε τα πάντα και ρωτήστε αν δεν είστε σίγουροι.
- Βεβαιωθείτε ότι γνωρίζετε πώς λειτουργεί το προϊόν. Διαβάστε τους όρους και τις προϋποθέσεις.
- Ελέγξτε το κόστος. Κοιτάξτε για κρυφές χρεώσεις, όπως η μετατροπή νομίσματος ή άλλες πρόσθετες χρεώσεις.
- Να είστε προσεκτικοί πώς πληρώνετε. Πιστωτικές και χρεωστικές κάρτες είναι φθηνότερες από τα εμβάσματα. Βεβαιωθείτε ότι χρησιμοποιείτε μια ασφαλή τοποθεσία πριν δώσει λεπτομέρειες on-line. Πάντα να επιβεβαιώνεται την παραγγελία σας προτού να πληρώσετε.
- Ελέγξτε τις ημερομηνίες παράδοσης και την πολιτική ακύρωσης. Συμφωνήστε για την προθεσμία παράδοσης.
- Είναι εγγυημένο; Δείτε τι εγγυήσεις, και την εξυπηρέτηση μετά την πώληση. Σύμφωνα με το δίκαιο της Ένωσης, τα προϊόντα που αγοράζονται εντός της ΕΕ έχουν εγγύηση για δυο χρόνια τουλάχιστο.
- Κρατήστε όλα τα αρχεία. Σημειώστε τυχόν αριθμούς αναφοράς που δίνονται σε περίπτωση που προκύψει κάποιο πρόβλημα.
- Κρατήστε ασφαλή τα στοιχεία σας και την προστασία της ιδιωτικής ζωής σας. Προσωπικά στοιχεία μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν μόνο με τη συγκατάθεσή σας. Ρωτήστε αν δεν ξέρετε ποια είναι η πολιτική ενός πωλητή για την προστασία των δεδομένων.
- Τι μπορείτε να κάνετε αν κάτι πάει στραβά; Επικοινωνήστε με τον πωλητή όσο το δυνατόν γρηγορότερα. Εάν δεν μπορείτε να επιλύσετε το πρόβλημα, μπορείτε να λάβετε βοήθεια από τον Κυπριακό Σύνδεσμο Καταναλωτών ή το Ευρωπαϊκό Κέντρο Καταναλωτή Κύπρου, μέλος του δικτύου της ΕΕ που βοηθά τους καταναλωτές σε θέματα που αφορούν διασυνοριακές καταγγελίες.
Προσοχή στις απάτες. Πάντα να είστε σε επιφυλακή σας και να θυμάστε, αν ακούγεται πολύ καλό για να είναι αληθινό, είναι πιθανών απάτη
Keeping your child safe on-line
Τα παιδιά συχνά είναι καλύτεροι χειριστές των ηλεκτρονικών υπολογιστών από τους γονείς τους. Μπορούν να μάθουν να χρησιμοποιούν τον υπολογιστή και κατεπέκταση το Διαδίκτυο στο σχολείο.
Να θυμάστε, όταν πάνε on-line, τα παιδιά φτάνουν στον έξω κόσμο. Εάν ο υπολογιστής σας δεν έχει ένα σύστημα φιλτραρίσματος (να μπορεί να μπλοκάρει αγενής λέξεις και εικόνες για παράδειγμα), τα παιδιά μπορούν να δουν εύκολα απρεπείς εικόνες και εικόνες βίας, παράλληλα με τις πολλές χρήσιμες και διασκεδαστικές ιστοσελίδες.
Τα παιδιά μπορούν να μιλούν σε αγνώστους, ειδικά μέσω των chatrooms. Υπάρχει ο κίνδυνος, όπως ακριβώς και στο δρόμο, κάποιος που θα ήθελε να τους κάνει κακό, να προσπαθήσει να τα προσεγγίσει. Εξηγήστε στα παιδιά σας να μην μιλούν σε αγνώστους και να μην ανταποκρίνονται σε ραντεβού που μπορεί να κλείσει κάποιος «φίλος», εκτός και εάν σας ενημερώσει πρώτα. Επίσης, εξηγήστε ότι δεν θα πρέπει να δίνουν σε κανέναν τη διεύθυνση τους ούτε και το όνομα του σχολείου τους.
Εδώ είναι μερικές συμβουλές για την ασφάλεια των ο παιδιών τις οποίες μπορείτε να εκτυπώσετε και να κολλήσετε στον υπολογιστή:
- Είναι μια πραγματικά κακή ιδέα να συναντήσεις κάποιον από το Διαδίκτυο σε δημόσιο ή άλλο χώρο εκτός εάν οι γονείς σου είναι μαζί σου.
- Θυμήσου ότι οι άνθρωποι μπορούν να προσποιούνται on-line, κανένας δεν μπορεί να τους δει.
- Μην δίνεις ποτέ προσωπικά στοιχεία μέσα από το διαδύκτιο όπως τη διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου σου, τη διεύθυνση κατοικίας, το όνομα του σχολείου, φωτογραφία ή κωδικούς πρόσβασης. Μπορεί να είναι κάποιος επικίνδυνος!
- Αν εντοπίσεις κάτι πραγματικά απρεπές, ή έχεις κάποιον φίλο σε ενοχλεί on-line, δεν είναι δικό σου λάθος. Πες το στους γονείς σου.
Ασφαλέστερη πλοήγηση – Συμβουλές προς τους γονείς:
- Ορισμένες υπηρεσίες παροχής Internet προσφέρουν ασφαλείς χώρους για παιδιά. Μπορείτε επίσης να αγοράσετε κάποιο λογισμικό. Ακόμα κι έτσι τα παιδιά σας πρέπει να μάθουν τον κώδικα για την ασφαλή χρήση του δικτύου για περιπτώσεις που δεν προστατεύονται.
- Βεβαιωθείτε ότι γνωρίζετε πότε τα παιδιά σας κανονίζουν να συναντήσουν κάποιον που γνώρισαν πρώτη φορά στο Διαδίκτυο.
- Εξηγήστε στα παιδιά σας ότι πρέπει να προστατεύουν τα προσωπικά στοιχεία – να μην στείλουν ένα e-mail με τη διεύθυνση του σπιτιού σας, τον αριθμό τηλεφώνου σας ή το όνομα του σχολείου τους – ή την εικόνα τους – και να μην τους δίνουν στα chat rooms.
- Θα πρέπει να γνωρίζουν ότι οι άνθρωποι on-line δεν είναι πάντα αυτοί που φαίνονται, ακόμη και άνθρωποι που γίνονται «keypals».
- Τα παιδιά πρέπει να είναι ιδιαίτερα προσεκτικοί σε chat rooms. (Ακόμα και αν ένα δωμάτιο συνομιλίας λέει ότι είναι μόνο για τα παιδιά, δεν υπάρχει τρόπος αυτή τη στιγμή για να πει εάν ο καθένας εκεί πραγματικά είναι ένα παιδί. Θα μπορούσε να είναι ένα ώριμο ή ένα μεγαλύτερο παιδί που προσπαθεί να τους εξαπατήσει.)
- Δείτε εάν η υπηρεσία παροχής Internet έχει chat rooms, ειδικά για την ηλικία των παιδιών σας: στη συνέχεια, βεβαιωθείτε ότι τα παιδιά σας να χρησιμοποιούν μόνο αυτά τα chat rooms. Ένας υπεύθυνος ενήλικας είναι on-line όλη την ώρα κρατώντας μακριά με το καλύτερο δυνατό τρόπο δυσάρεστες εκπλήξεις (Ο ενήλικος δεν θα παρέμβει και κατά πάσα πιθανότητα δεν θα ξέρουν ότι υπάρχει, εκτός εάν κάποιος αρχίσει να συμπεριφέρεται άσχημα).
- Εξηγήστε στα παιδιά σας ότι δεν πρέπει να ανταποκρίνονται στα προσβλητικά μηνύματα. Θα πρέπει πάντα να σας ενημερώνουν αν λαμβάνουν μηνύματα που τα αναστατώνουν ή δεν καταλαβαίνουν ή αν δουν απρεπείς εικόνες, ενώ είναι on-line. Εσείς με τη σειρά σας θα πρέπει να αναφέρετε τα περιστατικά αυτά στον παροχέα υπηρεσιών. (Υπάρχουν ανοικτές τηλεφωνικές γραμμές της ΕΕ, όπως το Internet Watch Foundation (www.iwf.org.uk)
Άλλες συμβουλές για να μοιραστείτε με τα παιδιά σας:
Δεν είναι καλή ιδέα να στείλει τον αριθμό της πιστωτικής σας κάρτας ή τα στοιχεία του τραπεζικού λογαριασμού σας, χωρίς πρώτα να έχει τη συγκατάθεση σας αλλά και τον έλεγχο σας κατά τη διάρκεια της αποστολής. (Κάποιος θα μπορούσε να τα χρησιμοποιήσει για να κλέψει από εσάς.)
Καλύτερα να μην δώσει σε κανέναν τον κωδικό πρόσβασης στο λογαριασμό σας στο Internet.
Να θυμάστε, αν κάποιος σας κάνει μια προσφορά, η οποία φαίνεται πολύ καλή για να είναι αληθινή, είναι πιθανώς ένα τέχνασμα!
Σιγουρευτείτε ότι έγινε σαφές ότι η πρόσβαση σε ιστοσελίδες «άνω των 18» δεν είναι δυνατή, και η παράβαση του κανόνα μπορεί να έχει επιπτώσεις. (Οι προειδοποιήσεις υπάρχουν για να σας προστατεύσουν. Ιστοσελίδες ενηλίκων μπορεί να κοστίζουν μερικές φορές πολύ περισσότερο στο λογαριασμό του τηλεφώνου σας σε σχέση με άλλες.)
Εξηγήστε ότι δεν πρέπει να κάνουν κλικ σε συνδέσμους ιστοσελίδων, σε e-mail ή ανοιχτά συνημμένα ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου από ανθρώπους που δεν γνωρίζουν και εμπιστεύονται. Τα ίδιο ισχύει και με το κατέβασμα αρχείων από ιστοσελίδες του Διαδικτύου. Τέτοιου είδους αρχεία εγκυμονούν κινδύνους τόσο για το παιδί σας αλλά και για τον υπολογιστή σας.
Genetically Modified Organisms
You can see foods in the shops labeled ‘contains GMOs.’ This is to give you a choice.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are created by scientists in the laboratory by taking genes from one species and adding them to another. For example, genes may be taken from bacteria and added to a plant. It is the same idea as crossbreeding plants to get the color of flowers you want. But with GMOs it is quicker and more accurate as it allows just one individual gene, or a small number of genes, to be inserted into a plant (or animal) to change it in a specific way. Most notably, it allows gene transfer between different species that couldn’t possibly interbreed using traditional techniques.
Are GM foods safe?
When genetic modification (GM) is used in food production, each product has to be assessed for safety before it can be sold anywhere in the EU.
Concerns about GMOs mainly relate to their potential impact on the environment. Some GMO crops have been made tolerant to certain herbicides to assist in weed control. A worry is that if they interbreed with weeds, we could get super-resistant weeds. Others are made resistant to specific (insects) pests so that crop damage is reduced. The worry there is that there may be effects on other insects and on species that feed on insects. In theory at least, GM techniques could be used to improve the environment, however, none has been demonstrated in practice.
If you want to spot GM food:
Under EU law, the presence of GM has to be labeled as GM, as long as it can be detected in the final product. The two main GM crops we may be eating are Soya and maize (corn). Soya and Maize derivatives are found in around 80% of processed foods.
GM Soya and Maize derivatives such as proteins and flour have to be labeled as GM.
Other derivatives obtained from soya and maize does not have to be labeled. They include soya or maize oil, starch, emulsifier, lecithin, glucose, fructose, dextrose, mono and diglycerides, malodextrin and sorbitol.
GM may also be used in our food chain because GM crops can be fed to farm animals like chickens, pigs and cows. There is no requirement to label foods from animals fed on GM-crops because of the difficulty of distinguishing them from foods derived from animals fed on conventional feed. The idea of tracing GMs along the food chain is being considered by the European Commission but has not yet been adopted.
How to avoid food poisoning
1. Buy food from a store, which has clean refrigeration cabinets operating at the appropriate temperatures and whose staff observes good personal and food hygiene practices.
2. Keep food such as milk, all cheeses, cooked and fresh meats, pate, fish and ready-made dishes, in the refrigerator operating at 5?C colder to inhibit bacterial growth.
3. Cook food thoroughly to destroy bacterial cells.
4. Put into practice the following points:
- When you have bought chilled or frozen foods, get them home quickly
- Keep hot food hot and cold food cold
- In the fridge, store raw meat below food that is not going to be cooked or heated before it is eaten
- Keep raw and cooked food apart
- Wash chopping boards, knives, other equipment and your hands after they have been used to prepare raw food
- Cool left-over food quickly and keep it cool
- Do not keep food beyond its ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date
- Keep all food covered
- Keep pets in their place
- Practice personal Hygiene
Eating well: Organic Food
Organic food is produced with very strictly controlled and limited use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, and from animals allowed to roam freely and reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters, or other chemical drugs. It is also produced free from GM.
A statement that the product is organic, with some certification and/or logo should tell you that the product is properly controlled and produced to the required legal standards.
Buying organic products supports more sustainable, environmentally friendly farming methods.
Organic foods contain, on average, far fewer pesticides residues.
Sometimes seasonal organic products don’t cost much more than normal foods.
Organic meat is expensive. You can save money by eating less meat and more vegetables, cereals, legumes and nuts. These are healthy and their production is less damaging to the environment than animal production.
Eating well: Packaging
By changing our buying habits, we can help the environment. Plastic bags, polystyrene packaging, plastic film are made from oil which will run out. Half of the plastics are packaging and are thrown straight away. They can remain in the environment for hundreds of years without biodegrading.
- Avoid foods that have lots of different packaging
- Use your own lunch box, rather than pre-packed food
- Avoid buying individually wrapped mini portions
- Avoid using disposable bags or use bags which are biodegradable
