How to Prevent Food Poisoning in Summer
As summer approaches, temperatures rise and air humidity increases, creating an ideal environment for bacteria, wild vegetables, and wild mushrooms to grow and reproduce. Consequently, the risk of food safety increases, making the prevention of food poisoning a critical topic for food safety alerts.
Common Causes of Food Poisoning
Cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods;
Improper food storage leading to spoilage and decay;
Food contamination by bacteria carried by food handlers;
Failure to thoroughly reheat food that has been stored for a long time before consumption;
Consumption of raw foods that have not been heated;
Presence of natural toxins in food that were not completely removed during processing, such as undercooked lentils;
Contamination of food with chemically toxic substances during processing, such as mistakenly using sodium nitrate as table salt;
Contamination of agricultural products used as food ingredients with chemically toxic substances during cultivation, breeding, or in their growing environment, such as excessive pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables;
Consumption of toxic and harmful foods, such as poisonous mushrooms (toadstools), sprouted potatoes (potatoes), and pufferfish.
The Three Rules After a Food Poisoning Incident
Summer is a peak season for food poisoning, but many victims fail to recognize the symptoms early. By the time they are taken to the hospital, their condition can be very severe, which can affect treatment and recovery. Therefore, early detection and management of food poisoning are crucial.
Rule 1: Recognize the Early Symptoms of Food Poisoning
The early symptoms of food poisoning are often abdominal discomfort. The victim may first feel bloated, some patients may experience abdominal pain, and a few may develop acute diarrhea. Accompanying the abdominal discomfort is nausea, followed by vomiting.
Food poisoning can affect individuals or groups. Its primary symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, often accompanied by a fever. Severe vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, acidosis, and even shock and coma.
Rule 2: Stop Eating Suspicious Food and Call 120 Immediately
Once someone shows suspected food poisoning symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, they should immediately stop eating the suspected food and call 120 for emergency help.
Rule 3: The following first-aid measures can be taken before a professional doctor arrives:
Induce vomiting: For victims who have been poisoned recently but have not vomited noticeably, you can induce vomiting by stimulating the root of their tongue with a finger, or have the victim drink large amounts of warm water and repeatedly induce vomiting on their own to reduce toxin absorption.
After inducing vomiting with large amounts of warm water and when the vomit becomes a relatively clear liquid, you can drink a small amount of milk to protect the gastric mucosa. If bloody liquid is found in the vomit, it may indicate bleeding in the digestive tract or throat, and vomiting should be temporarily stopped.
Purgation: If the patient ate the contaminated food a long time ago (more than two hours) and is in good spirits, they can take laxatives to promote the excretion of the toxic food. Taking rhubarb or senna leaf in a decoction or with hot water can achieve this purpose.
Retain food samples: Since identifying the toxic substance is crucial for treatment, it is important to retain the food sample that caused the poisoning to be tested at the hospital.
If there is no food sample available, the patient's vomit and excrement can also be retained to help doctors with diagnosis and treatment.
Special Note: This emergency treatment only buys time for the treatment of acute food poisoning. After emergency measures, the patient should be sent to the hospital immediately for treatment.
Eight Precautions to Prevent Food Poisoning
Some vendors, driven by profit, often operate unsafe foods in areas near residential communities, schools, and along busy streets, targeting people's preferences.
These street foods pose serious food safety hazards and can easily harm human health.
The main reasons for this are the lack of health and safety guarantees for the source of food ingredients; the lack of health and safety guarantees for food processing and storage conditions and environments; the lack of health certificates for food handlers; the lack of guaranteed hygiene habits for food handlers; and the lack of awareness and knowledge of food safety operations among food handlers.
First, when purchasing food, buy from supermarkets or large stores with a certain scale, good reputation, and strict quality control. Do not buy food from street vendors or unlicensed stalls to ensure the hygiene and safety of food ingredients.
Second, when selecting food, check the manufacturer's name and address, production date, and shelf life. Do not buy "three-no" products (without production date, shelf life, or manufacturer's address) or foods with abnormal sensory properties.
Third, when traveling, do not buy food from unlicensed vendors or mobile stalls; do not randomly pick and eat unfamiliar wild fruits, mushrooms, or wild vegetables.
Fourth, when dining out, choose restaurants with good food hygiene conditions and high ratings, such as Class A or B establishments. Do not eat at unlicensed stalls.
Fifth, do not eat raw foods such as meat, or seafood. When purchasing fish and meat, pay special attention to freshness. When cooking, fish and meat should be thoroughly heated. Frying and cooking with vinegar (or hawthorn) can effectively reduce histamine, an undesirable substance in fish.
Sixth, when preparing food, process raw and cooked foods separately and use separate utensils for raw and cooked foods.
Seventh, do not eat foods with abnormal sensory properties; do not eat spoiled foods such as sprouted potatoes and moldy sweet potatoes; do not eat fresh daylilies; lentils must be cooked thoroughly.
Eighth, after purchasing food or dining out, obtain and keep the relevant receipts. If you discover any food hygiene problems or experience discomfort such as abdominal pain or diarrhea, promptly call 12320 to report and complain.
When Dining Out, Remember to Get a Receipt
Many people do not have the habit of asking for a receipt when dining in a restaurant. If a food poisoning incident occurs and they cannot provide proof of the meal, it is difficult to protect their personal rights. Over time, even if they report the incident, law enforcement officers will find it difficult to obtain direct and persuasive evidence. Therefore, to protect personal rights, it is important to develop the habit of asking for a receipt when dining out.