Contaminated food: Causes and management?

Using rancid contaminated food is one of the causes of food poisoning. Food poisoning is not too serious and most cases recover after a few days. The culprits that cause food spoilage are salmonella, E.coli and Norovirus bacteria.

What causes food contamination?

Food can become contaminated during production or processing such as:

Food is not cooked;

Food cannot be preserved, especially foods that need to be stored below 5oC;

Keep food at high temperature for a long time;

Food should not be reheated before use;

Touching food when sick or with unclean hands;

Use expired foods;

Cross-contamination between rancid foods.

What should mom do when food is contaminated?

Most contaminated food can be resolved at home. You can refer to some treatment below:

Unprocessed fruit and vegetable foods contain Listeria

Listeria bacteria can be spread on certain fruits such as melon or other processed foods like cheese. Symptoms of Listeria infection include fever, muscle aches, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. This can happen 2 days to 2 months after exposure.

The best way to ensure the safety of the whole family is to clean the food and let it dry before cutting. These foods need to be stored in a refrigerator below 4oC.

Unpasteurized milk

Dairy products, including yogurt and soft cheeses, can become contaminated. Listeria can live in cold temperatures. Therefore, sometimes refrigeration cannot prevent the growth of bacteria. People at high risk are the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. It's best to check product labels before buying and make sure these foods have been marked as sterile.

Canned meat and sausage

Sometimes a bacterial infection can lurk in a food processing plant and stay there for years. Use high heat to destroy them. However, these foods can become contaminated during food preparation and storage. To avoid this, do not store too many prepared foods like canned meats and sausages, but use them all by day. For sausages, you should heat it to about 75oC.

Poultry and eggs

Salmonella bacteria can spoil any food. Eating foods with these bacteria can lead to stomach upset, fever and diarrhea for 12 to 72 hours. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. To be safe, limit your intake of raw or undercooked eggs. You need to cook all kinds of poultry at about 75oC. When cooking, keep raw poultry separate from cooked poultry and other foods. After preparing, always wash your hands, cutting boards, utensils and tables with warm water and soap.

Minced beef

E. coli bacteria live in the gut of cattle and can contaminate beef during slaughter. Minced beef always poses many dangerous risks. Symptoms of E.coli infection include cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting. The condition may clear up a few days after exposure. The disease gets worse in vulnerable people and lasts about a week. To be safe, you need to cook food thoroughly (75 ° C, after cooking, the food no longer has pink in the center), wash dishes and thermometer to measure the meat's temperature with warm water and soap.

Canned food

Boturism is a fatal substance found in canned foods. Canned foods are particularly at risk for boturism such as honey, cured and fermented meats, smoked or salted fish. Children are the group most at risk of disease. Symptoms include abdominal pain or muscle weakness. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor for immediate examination.

As for honey, parents should not give it to children under 12 months of use. You should not use canned products that are bulging, leaking, or have a bad smell.

What should you do if you eat contaminated food by mistake?

Some cases that you should see your doctor for advice include:

You experience serious symptoms such as vomiting too much;

The condition does not improve after a few days;

You are pregnant;

You are over 60 years old;

In these cases, your doctor may send out a stool sample for analysis and prescribe antibiotics or advise you to visit the hospital for more careful care.

When you have food poisoning, you need to rest and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Try to drink plenty of water, even if you can just sip it.

You should also try to break up your meals. As your body stabilizes, eat bland foods like toast, crackers, bananas, and white rice until your body feels better.

Healthy foods that provide essential nutrients for the body but not properly preserved will easily cause germs in your family. Finding out the causes and handling of contaminated foods will help your home members live healthier every day.

You can see more:

Do not let food poisoning from leftovers?

4 principles to remember to avoid food poisoning

Matcha tea and great health benefits