Recently, there have been reports online that the total bacterial count in soy milk left at room temperature for 6 hours is as much as 36 times the original amount, which could cause diarrhea if consumed. This information has immediately sparked heated discussion among netizens.
Previously, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that as many as 1 in 6 Americans get sick each year due to improper diet. It seems that foodborne diseases have become the number one food safety issue worldwide. However, where do the bacteria that cause foodborne diseases exist in food, and how should we prevent them? The editor has compiled some food safety knowledge for everyone to learn.
Why does food breed bacteria when left out?
Food spoils and goes bad when left for a long time, mainly due to the decomposing action of saprophytic microorganisms. Various microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, when they come into contact with food, use the nutrients in the food to grow and reproduce in large numbers. During this process, they produce many metabolic by-products, creating various sour and foul smells, which is why food spoils. If people accidentally consume it, it may cause poisoning symptoms such as gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.
Which foods are prone to breeding bacteria?
· Undercooked / Leftover Meat
Undercooked beef may contain E. coli. Infection with this bacterium can lead to severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting, lasting for 5-10 days.
Prevention: Meat must be thoroughly cooked. Generally, boiling small pieces of meat in boiling water for 15 minutes can kill the germs, while larger pieces may need to be cooked for a bit longer.
· Freshly squeezed juice
Nowadays, milk tea shops and juice shops are very popular. Many freshly squeezed juices on-site are actually made with ice and water. In addition, although some use fresh fruits and vegetables to make juice, to handle high customer traffic, some drinks may be prepared in advance, leading to excessive bacteria.
Prevention: Try to drink less freshly squeezed juice from milk tea shops, or make it at home. And drink it while it's fresh, as bacteria can also grow in freshly squeezed drinks if left for too long.
· Unpasteurized dairy products
Some mothers still buy unpasteurized fresh milk and goat's milk, believing that without various additives, it is safer and more nutritious. In fact, unpasteurized milk can produce bacteria that can still grow at the low temperatures of a regular refrigerator. Symptoms of infection include: fever, chills, headache, stomach discomfort, and vomiting.
Prevention: It is recommended to heat milk to a high temperature for sterilization before drinking to be safe and avoid infection.
· Sashimi
Many people like to eat sashimi. Sashimi is mostly raw fish fillet, but its ingredients are not limited to fish; they also include snail meat, oyster meat, and fresh scallops from the shellfish family, as well as shrimp, crab, octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. In fact, these uncooked seafood often contain *Vibrio parahaemolyticus*, and eating them raw can cause poisoning symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.
Prevention: It is recommended to eat less sashimi! Even with condiments wasabi, vinegar, and garlic, the bacteria cannot be eliminated. It's best to eat less, especially for children with weaker digestive systems.
· Contaminated food and water
Contaminated food and water contain norovirus, which can also be transmitted from person to person. Symptoms of infection include: nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and fever, which usually last for several days.
Prevention: School canteens should strengthen health and safety inspections to ensure food hygiene standards. Children should wash their hands repeatedly with soap before eating.
· Leftover food
During the winter, some families believe that because the weather is cold, leftover food doesn't need to be refrigerated. This view is also wrong. Harmful bacteria can multiply in large quantities when food is left at room temperature for 4-5 hours. Eating it without reheating can lead to food poisoning.
Prevention: It is not advisable to eat food that has been left out for a long time. To prevent food poisoning, it is recommended to finish cooked food in one sitting. If it needs to be stored for a long time, it should be put in the refrigerator. At the same time, leftover cooked food must be reheated before eating.
Be cautious with these 6 types of overnight food!
1. Seafood and fish: Even when cooked, fish and seafood can still produce a large amount of protein degradation products when left for a long time, and these degradation products can damage liver and kidney function.
2. Opened braised food: Bulk or opened braised food must be eaten on the same day. Don't eat it the next day, even if it's in the refrigerator. It's not absolutely safe. For bacteria, braised food is a rich culture medium, and the freezer won't kill them; it can also promote the growth of molds and psychrophilic bacteria.
3. Overnight tea: Overnight tea should not be drunk. This is not only because the beneficial substances like vitamins have mostly been lost after being left out for too long, but the tea water also provides nutrients for the growth of bacteria and molds.
4. Green leafy cooked vegetables: Green leafy vegetables themselves contain a relatively high amount of nitrates. After being cooked and left for too long, under the action of bacterial decomposition, nitrates may be reduced to nitrites, which cannot be removed by reheating.
5. Undercooked eggs: Soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks are best eaten in one sitting. In eggs that are not fully cooked, the yolk has been heated for a short time, and the bacteria have not been completely killed. They can easily multiply in large numbers after being left for a long time, causing gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, etc. If you want to store cooked eggs for a longer time, remember to cook them completely.