Sliced spiced beef, a colorful and appetizing fruit and vegetable salad, delicious drunken shrimp, oysters, and various types of cold or raw dishes are all popular items on the dining table. However, in the "Food Safety Operation Guide for Banquets" released by the Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration, these four categories of food—re-cut cooked foods, pre-made salads, raw aquatic products, and cold or raw dishes—are classified as high-risk foods. It is best to avoid ordering them during gatherings with friends and family or at wedding banquets, as these four types of food are the most common culprits in food poisoning incidents.
Professor Cai Meiqin, Director of the Department of Nutrition at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Nutrition Society, told a reporter from "Health Times" that among these four categories of food that are prone to causing poisoning, re-cut cooked foods are the primary concern.
"Re-cut cooked foods" refer to whole pieces of cooked meat that are sliced into convenient-to-eat pieces. They go through many stages, such as the knives and cutting boards used for slicing, and the food handlers. Moreover, cooked foods are generally not reheated before consumption, so any contamination with pathogenic bacteria at any stage can easily lead to food poisoning. Therefore, re-cut cooked foods should be consumed within 4 hours.
Professor Cai stated that there is generally a time limit for food from processing to consumption. For instance, the interval between the preparation and consumption of raw seafood should not exceed 1 hour, and for cooked foods, the time from completion to consumption should ideally be kept within 2 hours.
The "Food Poisoning Prevention Guide" previously issued by the Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration had pointed out that common pathogenic bacteria thrive at temperatures between 25～35℃.