Five keys to safer food

Knowledge for prevention

The WHO five keys to safer food are five basic measures that help consumers learn safe habits for the preparation of food. They explain how food hygiene can prevent the transmission of pathogens responsible for many foodborne diseases. Because the ways food is prepared and the types of food eaten vary enormously between and within countries, the five keys concept is an educational tool, not a formula.

The concept has been developed into materials that countries can use for effective dissemination of the messages, such as a poster, brochure and manual. The manual addresses food safety professionals, teachers and interested organizations, and can be used for training food handlers and consumers, including schoolchildren. It emphasizes the five main messages that Member States are encouraged to apply to local conditions.