10 Important Rules Against Food Poisoning!

Acıbadem Dr. Sinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Evrim Demirel talked about 10 important rules you should take against food poisoning; made important suggestions and warnings!

Food poisoning, which is one of the common diseases in the summer season, is usually mild, but rarely, it can result in the death of the patient. The reason why food poisoning is frequently seen in summer is that harmful microorganisms can reproduce and multiply more easily in foods with the increase in temperature. According to the World Health Organization; 'Food poisoning' caused by viruses, parasites, bacteria, toxins and chemicals carried by food threatens approximately 600 million people in the world every year. Ministry of Health data; He states that 5-6 million people in our country suffer from food poisoning every year. Meat, milk, seafood and eggs are most responsible for food poisoning. In food poisoning, within an average of half an hour to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food, that is, contaminated with any disease agent; Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps and fever may develop. Acıbadem Dr. Sinasi Can (Kadıköy) Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Evrim Demirel said, “Everyone may not have the same reaction after eating the food contaminated with the disease factor. Some may have no symptoms, while others may develop serious complaints. It may be vital to consult a physician when symptoms do not cease and their severity increases,” he warns. So, what mistakes should we avoid to avoid food poisoning?

wash your hands often

With our hands, we touch all kinds of surfaces that cause disease during the day. As a result, many diseases can be transmitted through our hands. For example, if a person goes to the sink and does not wash their hands properly, all harmful microorganisms remain on their hands. Contact with dirty hands also leads to the transmission of disease-causing bacteria and viruses to food. This is called 'cross contamination' so you should wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, especially before touching any cooked or uncooked food.

Keep raw meats away from other foods

While shopping, preparing or storing food; Keep raw red meat, poultry such as chicken, fish and shellfish away from other foods because bacteria and viruses such as salmonella, E.coli, staphylococcus aureus, which reproduce easily in such raw meat, food poisoning can develop when they infect vegetables and fruits. Don't be the same as the board on which you chop vegetables. The knives where you cut meat, the places where you put the meat and your hands; Always wash with hot soapy water before you start cooking. This way you avoid cross contamination.

Do not thaw at room temperature

Do not keep foods that are not resistant to high temperatures (red meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese…) at temperatures above 5 degrees on average for a long time. The room temperature is around 21-22 degrees on average, and the food in this environment rapidly produces harmful bacteria during their stay outside. Nutrition and Diet Specialist Evrim Demirel, who warns, "For this reason, never thaw frozen meat that you have taken out of your freezer at room temperature," continues: "Allow your frozen meat to thaw in the refrigerator one day before the cooking process. If it needs to be defrosted urgently, defrost it with the defrost program if you have a microwave oven, then cook it quickly. If you do not have a microwave oven, thaw it quickly in running warm water and cook it again without waiting. Another important point you should pay attention to is not to refreeze thawed meats," he says.

Don't overload your fridge

In the normal parts of your refrigerator that are not freezers, the temperature should not be above 5 degrees, because as the temperature increases, harmful microorganisms will multiply and reproduce, and you should place the food in such a way that the cold air in the refrigerator can circulate comfortably inside, and you should not fill it up because if you fill the refrigerator too much, the cold air inside will not affect every food equally, and as a result, microorganisms in the food. begins to reproduce. Do not open the door of the cabinet too often, especially in hot seasons, and do not cause the temperature inside to increase.

Do not keep in the refrigerator for more than 1-2 hours

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Evrim Demirel stated that you need to quickly cool or freeze foods that perish very quickly, such as meat, and said, “Do not keep them in the refrigerator for more than 1-2 hours, especially after purchasing red meat and poultry; either cook it or quickly put it in the freezer. Otherwise, microorganisms that can cause food poisoning can multiply and reproduce rapidly.”

Pay attention to expiration dates!

Never consume foods past their expiration date, even if their appearance and smell do not change in any way.

If it's swollen or cracked, don't buy it!

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Evrim Demirel, stating that canned foods can cause severe food poisoning, says, "Be careful that cans are not heavily impacted, swollen or cracked and do not buy these products." It is very important that the canned food you make at home does not breathe during the production, because harmful microorganisms that cause poisoning grow in aired products.”

Do not wash the egg when placing it in the refrigerator.

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Evrim Demirel, who gave the information that "eggs are not purchased and stored in suitable conditions, can be very dangerous" and lists her recommendations as follows: "When purchasing eggs, make sure that there is no animal excrement or dirt on them so that bacteria such as Salmonella and E. Coli are not contaminated. Do not buy eggs and never wash them in the refrigerator. The reason for this is that the pores on the egg shell open after washing, causing disease-causing microorganisms to enter the egg quickly. You should wash and cook the egg just before use, and wash your hands thoroughly after touching the egg, especially to avoid cross contamination.

Let the meat be well cooked

Raw meats such as salami, bacon and raw meatballs, or preferably undercooked meats, also pose a risk for bacterial contamination. For example, salmonella bacteria can grow in undercooked chicken, and a type of E.coli bacteria in red meat. For this reason, make sure that the meat is well cooked so that the bacteria are destroyed.

Wash thoroughly before preparation

Foodborne poisoning is a picture that occurs as a result of consuming contaminated (contaminated) foods. For this reason, wash the kitchen utensils and surfaces you use to cook food very well with detergent before preparing the food.