Prevent stomach upset in summer! 5 strategies to avoid food poisoning

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, May to October each year is the peak period for food or food poisoning incidents. Nutritionists point out that with the arrival of hot summer, it is inevitable to consume cold drinks, cold foods or cooled cooked foods. If the food is not cooked and stored properly, it is easy for bacteria to grow and food poisoning is more likely to occur. People should not take it lightly.

Gastroenteritis is often confused with food poisoning, but the common point is vomiting and diarrhea combined with abdominal cramps.

Chi Mei Medical Center nutritionist Liu Peifen pointed out that many people often confuse "gastroenteritis" and food poisoning. Regardless of whether it is gastroenteritis or food poisoning, common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Gastroenteritis is a broad term. In addition to food poisoning, food allergies or intestinal indigestion are also factors that cause gastroenteritis.

Food poisoning is most common in summer

The causes of food poisoning include bacterial food poisoning, natural toxin poisoning, chemical food poisoning, heavy metal food poisoning and allergic food poisoning. However, the common causes of food poisoning in summer can be roughly divided into food contamination by pathogenic bacteria, bacterial growth and reproduction in the food itself, and improper food preparation.

Especially in Taiwan's hot and humid environment, plus most foods are rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins that are needed for the growth of various bacteria, and meet the conditions for bacterial growth (food, acidity, time, temperature, oxygen, moisture), which causes bacteria to reproduce faster. If the food is not stored properly, it will spoil more easily.

Improper food preparation and storage can easily lead to bacterial growth and food poisoning.

5 Tips to Preserve Food

In order to prevent food poisoning, more attention should be paid to the control of temperature and storage conditions when storing food. Here are 5 summer food preservation tips:

✤Strategy 1: Avoid food temperature danger zones

About 5~60℃ is the dangerous temperature zone for food, and many bacteria grow best at this temperature range. When preparing and storing ingredients or food, special attention should be paid to temperature control, with hot food kept hot and cold food kept cold.

Heating part: Heat at 63℃ for 30 minutes or 72℃ for 15 minutes, maintaining the center temperature of the food above 65℃; Refrigeration below 5℃ can inhibit the growth of pathogens; Freezing below -18℃ cannot allow pathogens to reproduce.

✤Strategy 2: Follow the 2 to 4 hour rule

Cooked food should not be kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours and should be eaten as soon as possible or refrigerated. If cooked food is kept at room temperature for more than 4 hours, it is recommended to fully heat it before eating or discard it directly.

✤Strategy 3: Remember how long food can be kept

Rice foods should be placed in a cool place with a shelf life of about 1 week to 3 months. Root vegetables (such as sweet potatoes) should be stored in a cool place or on the bottom layer of the refrigerator. Fish and meat should be packaged in appropriate amounts and refrigerated or frozen. Fish and meat can be refrigerated for 1 to 2 days and frozen for 1 to 2 months. Eggs should be wiped clean and refrigerated for 15 days. Soybean products such as dried tofu should be refrigerated for about 3 days, traditional tofu for about 5 to 7 days, and boxed tofu for about 30 to 45 days.

It is generally recommended to place a whole bag of uncooked rice in a cool place at room temperature. The remaining honey after opening can be refrigerated. Homemade soups such as mung bean, red bean, coix seed, agarwood, or grass jelly, as well as soy milk, can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days. Fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated for 3 to 5 days, and green leafy vegetables should be refrigerated for 5 days. Dairy products should be refrigerated for 5 to 10 days and consumed. Oils and fats should be stored in a dry and cool place. It is recommended to mark the opening date after opening. Used oils need to be stored separately and not poured into new oil to keep the oils and fats fresh.

When refrigerating food, cooked food should be placed on the top shelf and raw food on the bottom shelf to avoid cross contamination.

✤Strategy 4: Avoid cross contamination between raw and cooked food

When refrigerating food, cooked food should be placed on the top shelf and raw food on the bottom shelf to avoid cross contamination.

✤Strategy 5: Maintain a good hygienic environment

Bacteria can contaminate food, whether in the storage environment or on hands, and spread from raw food to cooked food. Therefore, the food refrigeration and freezing environment should be kept clean and cleaned regularly. Hands should be washed thoroughly and gloves and masks should be worn before preparing food to avoid contamination of food or ingredients due to droplets, dirty hands or wounds, which may affect food preservation and cause the risk of food poisoning.