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How is food poisoning prevented?

These are the five foods that produce the most poisonings in summer, write them down and take note of how to consume them safely.

With the arrival of the summer season, it is very common to go out to eat, or to prepare food for a large number of people in our own house in a hurry and without realizing their exposure to the high temperatures that usually plague our country. Likewise, such haste can also lead to poor preservation of prepared foods that, even if they are based on fresh and quality products, can end up producing other symptoms very different from the good food tasting that one would expect. In fact, up to 50% of poisonings occur with food prepared at home.

I'm talking about food poisoning, which can occur throughout the year, but stands out for having a rebound in summer due to high temperatures. Bacteria like to live at 36ºC - 37ºC, and can be found in various foods, especially eggs, meats, fish and even vegetables. If we suffer one of these intoxications, the most common thing is to end up with gastroenteritis (vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain), even going so far as to specify. medical care. And be careful, because some of these bugs take up to three days to cause symptoms, although others produce immediate intoxication.

Therefore, today we will review the foods that cause the most food poisoning, according to the latest report from the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), with data from last year 2014.

Eggs

Eggs, omelets or egg-based sauces are a well-known danger in summer due to their poor handling and / or conservation. According to the OCU, the egg is the cause of 23% of food poisoning in Spain thanks to the transmission of a type of bacteria called Salmonella. This microorganism is found in the feces of animals, which is why it ends up in contact with the egg shell.

For this reason, the OCU advises a careful handling of the food, avoiding the contact of the shell with the interior; And no, it is not necessary to wash it but only to avoid contact between the inside and outside. Likewise, sauces such as mayonnaise or tortillas should not remain in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours and, if we make an omelette, it must be consumed within two hours after removing them from the refrigerator.

As a curiosity, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control spoke last June about a new outbreak of Salmonella enterica in another very different food, sesame seeds, something that is not too common.

Fish

The second food product, with 9% of food poisoning to its credit, is fish and fish derivatives according to the OCU. This is mainly due to the new trend of consuming raw or semi-raw fish, as is the case with sushi prepared at home.

Again, the OCU recommends careful handling, with washing and refrigeration until cooking. On the other hand, if you want to eat raw, it is important to freeze it at -20ºC or more for a minimum of 5 days to ensure that the anisakis larvae have died, since this microorganism is causing more and more parasitic infestations in our country and also in other European countries. In fact, there was recently a rare case of anisakis infestation (after eating sushi) in Portugal that necessitated surgical intervention.

Shellfish

Next, the OCU states that 6% of food poisoning in Spain is due to shellfish. To avoid them, the OCU advises buying live shellfish and in authorized places of sale, not from poachers, since the latter do not guarantee adequate hygiene.

They also highlight that large-shell mollusks are the most dangerous in this regard, since they are the ones that concentrate the most bacteria on them, and they must be collected in safe or purified areas to avoid problems.

Vegetables

Tied with seafood, vegetables are responsible for 6% of food poisoning. Again, the OCU advises to wash vegetables correctly, since they are usually mixed later with other foods and end up giving us problems.

In fact, they stand out, there have even been reports of outbreaks of gastroenteritis caused by viruses due to frozen berries or juices. Although it is not usually something common.

Chicken

Finally, in fifth place, chicken stands out among meats for producing 5% of food poisoning. According to the OCU this is due to the fact that it is a meat that is easy to contaminate due to its abundance of water and its poor handling.

In the case of chicken, two types of bacteria stand out: salmonella (as in eggs) and campylobacter; The latter has rebounded its cases according to the latest report from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control with data from 2014, a year in which more than 240,000 confirmed cases of campylobacteriosis were registered throughout Europe, highlighting an increase of 13% in this type of disease. infections compared to the previous year and its clear seasonal peak in July.

Both salmonella and campylobacter produce gastroenteritis symptoms such as those we have initially explained. For this reason, the OCU advises to cook the chicken well, being inadvisable its consumption raw or semi-raw, especially in products such as hamburgers or fresh sausages. Also, it is important to avoid cross contamination when handling chicken meat on boards or with cutlery.

To reduce energy consumption in your home, you do not necessarily need to go out and purchase energy efficient products. Energy conservation can be as simple as turning off lights or appliances when you do not need them. You can also use energy-intensive appliances less by performing household tasks manually, such as hang-drying your clothes instead of putting them in the dryer, or washing dishes by hand.

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