The peak of summer is a high-incidence period for food poisoning. The Ningxia Food and Drug Administration recently issued a food safety consumer notice, advising caution with 5 types of food to prevent food poisoning during the hot season. 1. Be cautious with street-vendor cooked food
When buying cooked food, always purchase it from supermarkets or retail stores with a health permit and refrigeration facilities. Observe its color and smell before buying. Try to avoid buying homemade cooked food, cold salads, and bean products sold by roadside vendors. This is because most street food stalls lack adequate cooling, sterilization, fly, and dust prevention facilities. In the high summer temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly, making the food spoil easily. 2. Prevent bean poisoning
Raw beans contain a toxic protein called hemagglutinin, and some beans contain "saponins." Both of these toxins can be broken down and destroyed by high heat. If undercooked beans are consumed, they can cause poisoning. When cooking beans at home, construction sites, etc., they must be thoroughly cooked through. Consumers dining out should be self-aware. If the beans are a very bright green, take a small taste first. Only eat them if there is no raw bean-like or other strange smell. 3. Prevent mushroom poisoning
High summer temperatures and abundant rainfall lead to vigorous growth of wild mushrooms, making it a high season for wild mushroom poisoning. It is best not to pick, buy, or eat wild mushrooms. 4. Do not eat raw seafood
Seafood must be thoroughly cooked. When steaming or boiling, it needs to be heated to 100°C and maintained for over 10 minutes. The time from when cooked seafood is ready to when it is eaten should not exceed 2 hours. Avoid eating raw fish, raw shrimp, etc. 5. Leftover cooked food should be thoroughly reheated
Leftover food should be stored in the refrigerator and must be thoroughly reheated before consumption to kill any microbes that may have multiplied during storage. However, if cooked food is found to be spoiled, it should be discarded decisively, as the toxins in spoiled food cannot be eliminated by reheating. "Winter" and "Summer" Melons Help Expel Summer Heat and Dampness
Now that we are in the "dog days" of summer, the climate is hot, and people are prone to irritability, restlessness, fatigue, and weakness. In self-care and exercise, one should maintain a calm mind to ensure the healthy function of the heart.
In terms of diet, it is best to focus on vegetarian food. Soybeans and bean products (like tofu) are beneficial for heart health. You can also eat more winter melon and watermelon, which help expel summer heat and dampness. There are folk remedies like "clear soup winter melon" and "watermelon rind skin." To eliminate or prevent chills at night, it is advisable to consume some ginger daily and drink more boiled cool water or mung bean soup to relieve summer heat and quench thirst.
During the hot dog days, the most common seasonal illness is heatstroke. Heatstroke is mainly caused by high temperatures and poor ventilation, which prevents the body's heat from dissipating in a timely manner. When going out, adjust your schedule to avoid being out during the midday high temperatures, and ensure you get enough sleep.