Background: Recently, the State Council Information Office released the white paper "The Quality and Safety of Food in China," stating that the food qualification rate reached 85.1% in the first half of 2007. The overall quality level of Chinese food is steadily improving, and the food safety situation is also constantly being enhanced.
Compared to the well-known threat of excessive chemicals in food, Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a researcher at the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, prefers to warn everyone that the greater impact, compared to chemicals, actually comes from the public's incorrect methods for food preservation and processing.
Chen Junshi stated that while the food safety supervision mechanism is gradually being perfected, the hygiene conditions during food handling must also receive sufficient attention.
In August 2005, Streptococcus suis in Sichuan Province led to 204 people falling ill and 38 deaths; in August 2006, during the "Ampullaria fulica incident" in Beijing, 23 people contracted angiostrongyliasis; this April, 6 people in Beijing suffered from acute poisoning after eating sea whelks... All of these instances show that the health threats from improper food handling far exceed the dangers posed by chemically contaminated food. [China Cuisine]
To enjoy safe and delicious food, one must pay attention to the health and safety of three stages: purchasing, storage, and processing. The academician pointed out some common mistakes people make in their daily lives, hoping everyone can start ensuring food safety from their own hands. Major Repeat Offenders in Improper Diet
Purchasing: Buying cheap food that is about to expire or even slightly spoiled out of a desire for a bargain. Or, being overly curious and buying foods that one has never eaten or cooked before, which can easily lead to undercooked or spoiled food due to improper processing.
Processed Meat Products: Believing that occasional spoilage on the casing doesn't affect the quality of the meat inside, and that cutting off or washing the spoiled parts and then steaming it makes it safe to eat.
Seafood: Eating it raw.
Refrigerator: Treating it as a "food safety box," eating leftover food taken directly from it.
Correct Concepts to Be Established
Vegetables and Fruits: It is best to briefly soak them in salt water, which can eliminate a certain amount of bacteria. It is best not to pickle vegetables at home to avoid creating a breeding ground for bacteria.
Meat Products: Be sure to cook them thoroughly. Frozen meats and poultry should be completely thawed before cooking, then heated thoroughly to avoid inadequate cooking.
Seafood: It is best to eat it cooked. Because even if seafood is slightly spoiled, Vibrio parahaemolyticus will multiply in large numbers.
Many seafood products sold on the market cannot be completely sterilized. For seafood that must be eaten raw, the hygiene and reliability of its source must be strictly guaranteed.
Refrigerator: Food from the refrigerator must be thoroughly reheated before eating; this is a good way to kill bacteria.