Grey nomads urged to be food-smart
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Jan McLucas, has urged grey nomads to be food-smart when they hit the highways this year.
“With the season now upon us when many Australians take to the road, it is important to remember basic safety precautions when handling food,” she said.
Every year about 5.4 million Australians get food poisoning, and 120 people die as a result.
This year a Fact Sheet, On the Road, has been produced by the Food Safety Information Council aimed at older travellers.
“Food safety is especially important to older people, who potentially have less immunity against infections, and in particular less digestive system capacity to destroy bacteria ingested in food,” Senator McLucas said.
“Many grey nomads from southern Australia head north, and they are often unaware of the extra risk posed by the hotter and more humid climate when preparing and storing food.
“It’s great to see people enjoying the outdoor life, but imagine what it would be like if you got food poisoning when you were in a remote area, a long way from a doctor.
“The travelling life should be carefree – without the worry of food poisoning, which is preventable with just a little care to cook, chill, clean and separate our food.”
The On the Road fact sheet is available at What’s New, on the Food Safety Information Council’s web site: www.foodsafety.asn.au
