Washington, D.C., 7 April 2015 (PAHO/WHO) - The Peruvian chef and entrepreneur Gastón Acurio has joined the World Health Day 2015 campaign of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to prevent foodborne diseases.
Acurio appears in a series of public service announcements that are aimed at raising awareness of the importance of safe handling of food both in the home and in commercial food establishments. Following the PAHO/WHO "five keys to safer food" helps prevent foodborne diseases ranging from gastrointestinal ailments to cancer.
"Ensuring that the people who come to your restaurant to eat leave happy but also healthy is just as important as flavor, that magic recipe or good service," says Acurio in a PSA filed in one of his cevicherías (ceviche restaurants) in Peru. Those five keys are: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials.
In addition to Acurio, Peruvian chef Derek Hall and the Cordon Blue Peru institute are also supporting the campaign.
"Food safety: From farm to plate" is the slogan of this year's campaign for World Health Day, April 7, which marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. The campaign calls for action to ensure food safety throughout the food chain, from production to consumption. In the Americas, about one in four people suffers an episode of foodborne illness in any given year due to pathogens including salmonella and E. coli.
