Throughout the food chain, farmers, processors, retailers and others use numerous procedures based on long experience to ensure food quality and safety. In general these procedures are called "good farming practices" or "good production practices".

These practices have contributed significantly to food safety, but we must not forget that food comes from animals and plants, all of which are part of an environment where naturally occurring microorganisms and potentially harmful chemicals are naturally occurring.

It is therefore very important that consumers also understand and take precautions during the purchase, transport, storage, preparation and consumption of food.

"Good hygiene practices", both at home and outside, can protect against microbial contamination and food-borne diseases that this can cause.
Often the bad state of conservation of food is due to errors committed during transport and storage.

Another cause of microbiological contamination, and therefore of intoxication, may depend on the consumption of fresh sausages, sweet with raw eggs, vegetables not sufficiently washed, or the bad refrigeration of food, the use of utensils for raw or cooked products, from non-hygienically clean containers for food storage.

Here are some tips for the prevention of food-borne diseases.

Clear
Wash the vegetables carefully
wash and dry your hands before handling any food
wash and dry all the utensils (cutlery, chopping board ...) used for the preparation of raw food (raw meat, cheese, vegetables ...) before reusing them

periodically wash the refrigerator with water and a suitable detergent
change towels and dishcloths frequently.

Cook
Heat is an excellent way to reduce the danger of pathogenic germs carried by food:

Attention that even the heart of the food is well cooked, es. verify that the meat inside a hamburger has lost its pink color
Do not consume raw milk without having first brought it to a boil

Refrigera
Do not leave food out of the fridge
do not refrigerate still hot foods, let them quickly cool before storing them
if you need to transport perishable foods or are organizing a picnic, get the cooling bars.

Separate and protect
Keep foods tightly closed and separated in the fridge
do not store cooked and raw food in the same container (no vegetables cooked with raw vegetables)
separates raw foods from ready to eat (ready to eat = ready-to-eat foods, for example: cured meats, cheeses, milk ...)
store food that may drip in the lower shelf of the refrigerator
During outdoor barbecues and picnics, protect your food from insects and dust.