Foodborne illnesses are a common issue many people face when consuming unsafe food. So how can we avoid this?
With summer approaching, many people will host parties, enjoy meals, or participate in picnics. However, during these activities, some spoiled food can lead to serious health problems. No one wants to suffer from food poisoning, but how can you tell if you’ve consumed spoiled food?
There are two types of microorganisms related to food. The first type is pathogenic microorganisms, and the second type is microorganisms that cause food to have unpleasant shapes or odors, in other words, they spoil the food.
Eating spoiled food is a bad idea; when you encounter it, throw it away.
Generally, it’s quite easy to know if the second type of microorganism has contaminated the food. For solid foods, the sign will be the growth of mold. For liquids, the signs will include cloudiness, clumping, and often a foul smell. Eating spoiled food is a bad idea; when you encounter it, throw it away.
Kitchen Rules
Pathogenic microorganisms in food operate much more “stealthily.” They often cause symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, and typically cannot be detected by smell or sight. Therefore, proper handling and storage, as well as knowing when to discard leftovers, is very important.
The first rule of food safety is to keep the food preparation area clean. Develop the habit of washing your hands before handling food. Additionally, ensure that you thaw meat inside the refrigerator, not on the kitchen countertop. When frozen meat is left at room temperature, its outer surface warms up faster than the inside, creating conditions for pathogens to thrive.
Furthermore, do not use the same cutting board for meat and for cutting fruits and vegetables. In the kitchen, prepare two cutting boards to separate the tasks for these two purposes. You should also use different knives, plates, and utensils for raw meat and always place cooked meat on a clean plate.
Do not use the same cutting board for meat and for cutting fruits and vegetables.
You also should not wash raw meat or poultry in the sink as this can spread bacteria around the kitchen. However, if you insist on doing this, be sure to sanitize the sink with a disinfectant after the food has been transferred.
All pathogens can be eliminated by cooking meat to the recommended temperatures. Therefore, invest in a kitchen thermometer. Essentially, beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 71°C, poultry to 74°C, fish to 63°C, and ham to the same temperature. After cooking food, keep it hot at a temperature of 60°C or higher. If there is too much food and not all of it has been consumed, store it in the refrigerator, especially during the hot summer months.
Handling Leftovers
After the meal is finished, do not leave leftover food on the table; transfer it to the refrigerator quickly. Leftovers left on the dining table or stored outside without refrigeration increase the risk of pathogenic bacteria entering.
Ruth S. MacDonald, a professor at Iowa State University, stated: “A long time ago, I attended a Thanksgiving dinner at a relative’s home in northern Minnesota. After dinner, they stored the food on the screened porch. The outside temperature was around -6°C, but that wasn’t a good idea because the weather changes quickly, and temperature fluctuations lead to the risk of pathogen growth.“
After the meal is finished, transfer leftovers to the refrigerator quickly.
Most cooked food is safe to consume within 3 to 4 days if stored in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of bacterial contamination increases. If there are too many leftovers at once, consider freezing some and ensure to reheat them to 74°C before eating.
Homemade bread, pastries, baked goods, and cookies have a shorter shelf life compared to items purchased from supermarkets or grocery stores because your homemade items lack preservatives. They are more prone to spoilage and mold growth. If you see mold appearing, throw away the entire item, not just the visibly spoiled parts.
Foods with high moisture content spoil faster, as moisture provides a breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, refrigerating them can help extend their shelf life. Homemade cookies should also be stored in the refrigerator and discarded if mold begins to appear.
