Due to high temperatures, food spoils easily, and human immunity is relatively weak, making it a high-incidence season for food poisoning and foodborne diseases. The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a food safety reminder, stating that cooked food should not be stored at room temperature for more than 4 to 5 hours in the height of summer.
It is extremely unsafe to store cooked food at room temperature for more than 4 to 5 hours, because as cooked food cools to room temperature, microbes begin to multiply. When they multiply to a certain number or produce toxins during the process, it can cause poisoning in the consumer. Therefore, cooked food should be eaten immediately.
To prevent foodborne diseases in the height of summer, attention should also be paid to the following aspects: First, keep the kitchen and tableware clean, regularly clean and disinfect the sink, disinfect and air-dry dishcloths that come into contact with kitchen utensils daily, and ensure proper storage of tableware after cleaning and disinfection. Second, avoid cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, and do not store raw and cooked foods together in the refrigerator. Finally, packaged foods should be consumed immediately. When buying packaged foods, pay attention to check the expiration date. Canned, bottled beverages and various vacuum-plastic packaged snacks should be finished immediately after opening, because the high temperatures in summer cause bacteria to grow and multiply quickly. If they cannot be eaten or refrigerated promptly after opening, they will spoil quickly.