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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 8 APRIL 2015 News MARTINA BORG PROUD of your culinary skills and your home cooking? It might interest you to know that 63 per cent of food poisoning outbreaks occur in the home, not in restau- rants. That is not meant to put you off your cooking, but to put you on the alert. Food Safet y has been chosen by the World Health Organisation as the theme for this year's World Health Day and that was because there are still many cases of dis- eases caused by food, according to Charmaine Gauci, head of the Directorate of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. World Health Day was obser ved yesterday. "This theme was chosen because so many people are still affected by diseases caused by food, with over 200 diseases originating from food and some two million people dying of such diseases every year," she said. Gauci explained that although the numbers were not so high lo- cally, thanks to readily available treatment, there were still some 400 cases of food poisoning re- ported last year. "We cannot forget that many cases remain unreported, and sur- prisingly, around 63% of outbreaks stem from residential sources rather than restaurants," Gauci said, explaining that leaf lets be- ing distributed as part of the cam- paign were aimed at informing those who prepare their own food about the healthiest practices. Addressing journalists in front of the law courts, Gauci explained that the leaf lets would be availa- ble at butcher shops as well as at a stand set up to mark the occasion. "The campaign will also feature social media and it will continue for a week, but we will continue to promote the theme for the coming year," she said. Gauci explained that the leaf- let provided information about salmonella and campylobacter, the most common microbes, and how to avoid them using four sim- ple steps: separation of raw in- gredients, washing, temperature attention and cooking poultry through. "This project is a collaboration with the department of environ- mental health, which is also play- ing its part to ensure more aware- ness is raised," said said. Jason Mifsud, of the Environ- mental Health Directorate, said that the directorate was also con- ducting a sur vey to assess what the most common problems were. "The directorate also ensures that inspections of restaurants and shops occur as well as a risk assessment scheme to assess the qualit y of food in various loca- tions," he added, explaining that those who do not conform with regulations would be notified and ultimately taken to court if the regulations were not followed. www.smsmondial.com.mt Valletta | Birkirkara | Paola | Sliema | Hamrun | Gozo Tel: 2277 6000 Kabini Ġodda fi xhur ta' Lulju u Awwissu Mein Schiff 3 Cruises minn Malta għal Malta 2015 Ivjagga b'eleganza fuq il-'Mein Schiff 3' fejn il-kwalità Ġermaniża tispikka fl-aqwa tagħha. Itla' abbord u ħalli il-vaganza perfetta tiegħek tibda! Day Port Country Arrival Departure Day 1 Valletta Malta 2200 Day 2 Day at Sea Day 3 Brindisi Italy 0700 1800 Day 4 Dubrovnik Croatia 0700 2230 Day 5 Kotor Montenegro 0800 1800 Day 6 Corfu Greece 0900 1900 Day 7 Day at Sea Day 8 Valletta Malta 0400 Port Country Arrival Departure Day 1 Valletta Malta 2200 Day 2 Day at Sea Day 3 Piraeus, Athens Greece 0530 1900 Day 4 Mykonos Greece 0700 1800 Day 5 Bodrum Turkey 0800 2000 Day 6 Day at Sea Day 7 Catania, Sicily Italy 0800 1900 Day 8 Valletta Malta 0400 Pearls of the Adriatic Greece & Turkey Food safety campaign launched on World Health Day Charmaine Gauci, head of the Directorate of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention - information leaflets about preparing food