Health department warns the public to check street food before eating them

Nothing beats the taste of fish balls and isaw served on the street, but getting sick is no fun, yes?

With summer just around the corner, the Department of Health (DOH) warned the public to be more careful with buying food on the streets. The heat can cause certain food items to spoil more easily.

Vendors in Blumentritt in Manila “have adopted measures such as preparing and displaying only a few items under the midday heat,” GMA News reports.

DOH also highlighted the importance of the four-hour rule, which states that food must be consumed within four hours from cooking.

Read: Street vendor goes viral for ‘recycling’ the food he sells

If you can’t keep your hands away from your daily fix of fish balls, be more observant and mindful.

Does the vendor have clean hands? Is the cooking area sanitary? Are the utensils clean?

DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag emphasized the importance of making sure that meat is cooked — pink parts mean it’s still raw.

If there’s something that doesn’t look right, then just walk away. Better safe (albeit a bit hungry) than sorry.