Prevention of Food Poisoning
In your life, you might have faced the problem of food poisoning. If you do not want to repeat it, proper prevention and care is necessary to avoid food poisoning. Preventions can save your precious health and time.
Food poisoning can be mild or serious depend on the type of food infection. Most of the time, uncooked food, and unhygienic environment causes food poisoning. The affected patient shows common symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Bacterial and viral actions cause food poisoning. Toxins released by bacteria spoil the food material.
Which food contaminates easily?
Food from animal source contaminates easily by bacteria and viruses. Foods like chicken, turkey, eggs, seafood, milk, and dairy products, meat, cooked food like rice, pasta, and vegetables contaminate by bacteria. Prepared salads of fruits can also easily spoil. Avoid food preserved from longer period. Always eat freshly prepared food and eat it before two hours of preparation. After two hours, bacteria attack food at room temperature.
Good conditions for bacterial growth Bacteria that make the food poisonous reproduce very easily and quickly. Bacteria can grow in any conditions; some conditions are as follows,
- Multiplication
Bacteria can multiply two million times within seven hours. From this figure, you will understand the speed of multiplication.
- Nutrients
For growth and development of bacteria and viruses, nutrients are required. Food contains all nutrients; which is best for bacterial growth. Meat, chicken, seafood, milk, and milk products contaminate easily by toxins secreted by bacteria.
- Water
You must have observed that dried products do not spoil for longer period due to lack of water. Food products with water contaminate easily. So avoid liquid food after two hours of preparation.
- Temperature
Temperature is an important factor for growth and development of bacteria. For bacterial growth, temperature should be in between five degree to sixty degree Celsius. By keeping food below five degree or above sixty can avoid bacterial growth.
- Handling
Unclean hands can spoil food material. Some common bacteria, like E. coli, Salmonella, and botulism cause food poisoning by unhygienic handling food. Always clean hands before cooking, and serving food. Wash hands before eating anything and after toilet. Take care while food processing, storage and transport.
- Cooking
Well-cooked food is necessary to kill the bacteria like salmonella. Meat, chicken, and seafood need to be cooked completely, otherwise, bacteria present in uncooked food enters the body and leads to complications. Avoid food reheating.
- Storage
Store the food properly to avoid bacterial infection. Temperature below five will resist growth of bacteria, so keep the food in refrigerator. Adjust the temperature of refrigerator in between zero to five degree Celsius. Left cooked food should be cooled completely and then keep it in the refrigerator.
- Cross-contamination
Clean your hands, utensils, and cooking place to avoid cross-contamination of bacteria.
- Immune system
Immune system protects our body from harmful pathogens including bacteria and viruses. A person having weak immune system is more susceptible to different kinds of infections. Eat healthy food, green vegetables, and fruits to increase the resistance power.
