A lot has been said about healthy eating—what foods to prefer and which to avoid to maintain a strong and healthy body. However, health depends not only on food choices but also on factors like the origin, cooking, and storage of food. A single mistake in cooking or storing food can lead to food poisoning, a viral or bacterial infection that affects millions annually with unpleasant symptoms.
What should we pay attention to in the food we consume? Primrose Freestone, a lecturer in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester, provides insights in her article in The Conversation.
Key Tips for Safe Food Consumption:
- Hand Hygiene: Always ensure your hands are clean before handling food to prevent infections.
- Cooking Practices:
- Regularly check the expiration date on food packaging.
- Avoid using food if the packaging is damaged or if the food looks or smells off, even if it hasn’t expired.
- Cross-Contamination:
- Do not use the same cutting boards for raw and cooked foods.
- Ensure meat is well-cooked, especially when barbecuing. Use a cooking thermometer to verify that the internal temperature of the meat is at least 70℃.
- Reheating Food:
- Avoid reheating cooked rice. Raw rice may contain Bacillus cereus spores, which can survive cooking and grow into bacteria if the rice is left at room temperature. These bacteria can produce toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhea within hours of ingestion.
- Consumption of Raw Foods:
- Be cautious with raw shellfish. Oysters and other shellfish can harbor harmful microbes like Vibrio and norovirus. Even if they look, smell, and taste normal, they can still cause severe illness. The CDC estimates that in the US, about 80,000 people get sick from Vibrio in raw oysters annually, with around 100 fatalities. It’s safer to consume shellfish well-cooked.
- Ready-Made Salads:
- Packaged salads, like lettuce, can contain pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. These germs thrive in salad juices, even if refrigerated. While most ready-made salads are safe if stored properly, washed thoroughly, and consumed quickly, it’s still advisable to exercise caution.
- Storage and Temperature:
- Keep sensitive foods cold and covered. Microbial growth is particularly favored when food is exposed to temperatures around 30℃ for extended periods.
- Outdoor Eating:
- Avoid eating outdoors, like picnics or barbecues, as these environments increase the risk of food contamination due to higher exposure to insects and other elements that encourage microbial growth.
By following these guidelines and understanding the importance of proper food handling and preparation, you can significantly reduce the risk of food poisoning and ensure a healthier diet.
