Food Handling Tips

Some kinds of cancer therapies cause low white blood cell counts. If you have a low white cell count, you must handle and prepare food carefully to reduce your exposure to bacteria. Wash your hands before and after preparing food and before eating. In addition, keep hot foods hot (above 60^oC) and cold foods cold ( below 40^oC).

What to Do :

• Wash hands thoroughly with warm soapy water before and after preparing food and before eating.
• Use different cutting boards for meats and vegetables. Sanitise cutting boards well after each use. To do this, wash the board with warm soapy water and rinse well. Wash the board again with a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach in 4 cups of warm water. Let the solution stay on the board for at least 2 minutes and then rinse with hot clean water.
• Keep hot foods hot (above 60^oC) and cold foods cold (below 4.5^oC).
• Thaw foods in the refrigerator or microwave oven and cook them immediately. Never thaw foods at room temperature.
• Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours of cooking them and eat them within 24 hours.
• Eat only well cooked foods. Avoid raw and undercooked foods.
• Do not eat raw eggs ; you must always cook them thoroughly.
• Drink bottled water and commercially bottled soft drinks.