Do you think food poisoning is harmless? You're wrong - they are responsible for more than 48 million hospitalizations worldwide and about 3,000 fatalities each year.
The severity of poisoning depends on the type of bacteria that harm and the individual endurance of the body. Young children, pregnant women, adults and people with comorbidities are extremely susceptible to these infections, especially in the heat, which further weakens the immune system. But even if you do not belong to any of these groups, such poisoning will not go away without nausea , vomiting , dehydration , cramps and diarrhea , which can last for days.
Most often, food poisoning is caused by spoiled food, but mistakes made in their storage or processing are also an important factor.
According to the World Health Organization, after improper heat treatment of animal products, the second biggest cause of food poisoning in the summer are unwashed vegetables and fruits . There is a widespread myth that once bleached, these products do not need to be washed. It is obviously completely wrong, because bacteria and other contaminants stuck to the skins of these fruits and vegetables can remain on the blade of the knife. Whether you continue to bleach the same product with this knife or cut another, they are already potentially contaminated .
Another very common mistake is defrosting meat products. They must be thawed quickly and their heat treatment must be started immediately. If they are simply left out of the fridge at night to thaw in the morning, you will offer the microorganisms that are normally contained in meat products ideal conditions for reproduction. To avoid this situation, experts advise defrosting meat to take place in a microwave oven just before cooking.
Marinating meat is also safest to refrigerate. Although marinades often contain acidic bactericides such as citric acid, any food left outdoors in the range of 5-50 degrees is a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria.