Prevention of food poisoning: Cleaning, refrigeration, and thorough heating

Why are we poisoned?

Why are more and more people getting poisoned? There are many reasons.

"We're eating out more and more often," Dr. Woodburn said. She added that things are being done on a larger scale now, "so the chances of a sudden, widespread food poisoning outbreak are increasing and more likely to be reported in the media."

Furthermore, housewives in the past generally knew how to prepare meals to ensure the health of the whole family. Dr. Woodburn says, "Now we receive less and less basic education. The worst-performing age group in terms of diet is under 35. We've become indifferent to everything." And the most cynical and ignorant are the men.

Furthermore, people's food chain-the food manufacturing and sales system that provides you with food through fast food chains or supermarkets across the country-is becoming increasingly international and complex. When food is mass-produced in one location, slaughterhouses and packaging plants, facing immense pressure, no longer perform their duties with the same care. All of this provides more opportunities for food contamination by pathogens.

Currently, calls for the federal government to inspect food for contamination are growing louder. However, contamination of meat and any other food or beverage is very difficult to detect; visual inspection, smelling, and touching are all ineffective methods.

The same situation exists in the seafood sector. In 1993, Americans consumed 3.2 times more fish and shellfish than in 1970 on average, but much of the fish sold in the U.S. market was not caught by specialized fishing companies and therefore rarely underwent professional inspection. The Food and Drug Administration inspects all U.S. fish processing plants on average every two years, while only about 20% of seafood businesses voluntarily accept individual inspections from the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Lifestyle is also a significant factor that makes men more susceptible to food poisoning. Our parents used to grill hamburgers until they were crispy and delicious, but now we prefer them rare or undercooked because they taste better.

We live in a fast-paced society and often eat fast-cooked foods such as ground beef, sausage, or ground turkey. 50% of the beef consumed by Americans is ground, and the grinding process ensures that any bacteria in the meat not only adhere to the surface of the meat that can be grilled, but are completely mixed in with it.

"Our chances of food poisoning have increased dramatically because of some crazy things people do," Dr. Newke said. The problem isn't just that food is contaminated during production; Dr. Newke points out, "Many times contamination occurs in the final stages of food preparation, when people are often careless and have no idea what they're doing."

The correct way to eat to prevent food poisoning

So what should we do? Do as described below:

Dr. Woodburn said, "Men are more prone to some unsafe practices than women because they are often new to cooking and lack experience with the kitchen setup and food handling."

You should treat self-protection as common sense-here are the four "Cs" that nutritionists often mention:

Cleanliness: Wash your hands before preparing food, after handling raw meat, poultry, and fish, and before meals. Keep all surfaces clean: utensils, cutting boards, tabletops, etc., especially wiping down surfaces that come into direct contact with food. Use soap; if available, water-soluble chlorine bleach is even better, as it kills bacteria.

Preventing cross-contamination: Keeping items clean is to prevent the spread of bacteria to other foods. Dr. Newke says, "Don't use the same cutting board you used for raw meat to cut raw salads."

Freeze thoroughly. Leftovers must be frozen. Similarly, cooked food, meat, milk, and eggs should also be frozen once processed. Food that is prone to spoilage should be discarded if it has not been frozen for at least 3 hours.

In addition, when freezing food, it is essential to ensure that the refrigerator is functioning properly: the temperature of the refrigerator compartment should be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature of the freezer compartment should be below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Latest Information

• Commonality: Although often unnoticed or not reported to health agencies, it is very common. It is estimated that one in ten Americans needs a dose of medication to treat food poisoning each year.

Risk factors: There is a risk of poisoning when consuming undercooked food, or food that should be hot or cold but is actually lukewarm. At home, there is a risk of poisoning if you don't thoroughly wash cooking utensils and your hands. Storing cooked food at room temperature is dangerous. The greatest danger comes from eating raw seafood.

• Affected age groups: People of all ages. Very young and elderly people with health conditions should be especially careful. The most severely affected are those with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes or HIV/AIDS.

• Gender differences: Both sexes are equally likely to experience food poisoning.

• Who needs help: If the poisoning symptoms do not improve after 5 or 6 hours, or if the symptoms are unusually severe, contact your family doctor immediately.

Cook it well. Thorough heating kills the vast majority of microorganisms. For perishable foods, heating to 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit will kill most bacteria. Ground meat should be heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (meat thermometers are available in most supermarkets; simply insert one into the meat and observe the temperature change). For microwave ovens, simply follow the cooking instructions, remembering to turn the food frequently to ensure even heating.

In addition to the four Cs mentioned above, there are some other things to note.

"Pay attention to where you eat. Make sure the restaurant you choose is well-managed and clean," says Dr. Woodburn. "Hot food should be hot, and cold food should be cold. If your hamburger is still pink in the middle, or the chicken is pink, return it." He adds, "Returning unsatisfactory food also serves as an educational experience for the restaurant."

Understand the food you eat; some foods require extra caution:

It is estimated that 21% of homemade roasted chicken carries Salmonella, which means that chicken must be thoroughly cooked before roasting, and all utensils that come into contact with raw chicken must be thoroughly cleaned to prevent bacteria from contaminating other foods.

Raw milk that has not been pasteurized is extremely dangerous. Many men believe it is highly nutritious, but this is not the case. In 1987, 62 people in California died after drinking unpasteurized milk. Also, regardless of the type of milk you drink, always make sure it is frozen.

Hamburgers and beef should be cooked thoroughly. Eating steak tartare is certainly satisfying, but it's also dangerous.

The problem with the eggs was Salmonella. Cooking them thoroughly kills this bacteria, meaning that undercooking or frying only one side is dangerous. The safe method is to cook each side for three minutes.

Fish and seafood should be cooked thoroughly before consumption. Dr. Woodburn says, "People with liver disease, undergoing chemotherapy, or with weakened immune systems should not eat raw seafood, although they can if they are not afraid of the risks. Healthy people can eat it without worry, but those in poor health should avoid it altogether."

The problem with fruits and vegetables is more about pesticides than bacteria. If you're worried about pesticide poisoning, you can buy vegetables that have been fertilized with organic fertilizers and wash them thoroughly.