Summer - Food spoilage - Food poisoning: What to watch out for!

During the summer months, mainly due to the increase in temperature, which helps the food spoil quickly, there is a risk of illness, from food poisoning. These food poisonings are usually due to the consumption of food that is prepared, kept or available, without observing the necessary hygiene measures.

Consumers must be especially careful, during the summer, both when buying and preserving food, and when visiting mass catering facilities.

It is worth reading the following to avoid bad situations...

• We check the color, smell, taste of the food, as well as the expiration date and the conditions of their preservation.
• We do not buy or leave food exposed to the sun or insects.
• We place perishable foods that require preservation under refrigeration as soon as possible after purchase.
• We wash our hands, often, with soap and water and, always, before every meal.
• We do not buy dairy products, except from controlled and organized dairy companies.
• We eat only well-cooked food and well-washed fruits and vegetables.
• We don't eat half-cooked meat or raw eggs. Shellfish must always be alive before cooking. It is dangerous to consume them raw, especially by sensitive population groups (children, pregnant women, the elderly, patients with chronic diseases or with suppression of their immune system). It is recommended to heat them for 30 minutes at 140°C, for safe consumption.
• Food and especially perishables, i.e. what is kept in cold storage, must be bought from controlled places, i.e. from markets and not from street vendors.

• Juices and bottled water should be stored either in refrigerators, or in cool and shady places. We do not buy juices and waters that are exposed to the sun.
• Refrigerators should not be exposed to the sun.
• We observe the correct storage conditions. After opening the package, store the quantity, which we did not consume, in the refrigerator.

• The freezers, where the ice creams are kept:
  • must operate at temperatures below -18 °C,
  • they should not be exposed to the sun,
  • must be hermetically sealed,
  • no ice should form inside them.
• We do not buy ice creams that show defects in their packaging (distorted or torn packaging, etc.), because this indicates either problems in the operation of the freezer, in which case the ice cream has, in part, been defrosted and refrozen, or incorrect handling, in transport, treatment and disposal of ice creams, at the points of sale.
• We store the ice cream in our home freezer as quickly as possible after buying it. If we buy ice cream from a supermarket, it must be the last item we put in our cart.
• Before buying bulk ice cream, we check the cleanliness of the premises, staff and tools. We check its storage conditions in the showcases. The showcases should operate at temperatures below -14 °C and should not be exposed to the sun. When the function of the showcase is not correct, ice forms on the walls and the hardness and shape of the ice cream changes.
• Before consuming the ice cream, be careful not to have formed crystals inside its mass. Discolored areas and large ice crystals in the main mass of ice cream are an indication of thawing and refreezing, which favors the growth of microbes.

Germs, such as salmonella, coliforms, etc. they can cause serious diseases. However, we can protect ourselves by following some practical advice.

• The food should be well cooked, but not burnt.
• Frozen food must be thoroughly defrosted before cooking.
• We have to turn the food, often, so that it cooks evenly.
• We must be sure that the meat is cooked, inside.
• Even if the meat is burnt on the outside, it may not be well cooked on the inside. For this we bake it evenly, at a constant temperature.

• We do not allow raw meat to touch or drip onto other foods.
• We use different tools (knives, cutting surfaces) for raw meats and cooked foods.
• We don't put cooked food on the same plate we used for raw meat without first washing it very well.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
• We do not add, to cooked meat, sauce or marinade, which we have previously used, raw.

• After baking, the food should be eaten as quickly as possible. Otherwise, store it in the refrigerator, after it has cooled, within (2) hours of baking it. After four hours, from the end of cooking and since it has remained outside the refrigerator, it begins to deteriorate and should not be consumed. Reheating (reheating) the same food, is not allowed, a second time.
• Warm weather is ideal for germs to grow. For this reason, we keep the food, outside the refrigerator, for as little time as possible.

In the summer, we often eat outside. It is good to observe the following

practical advice

• We choose stores that appear to apply the necessary hygiene measures for food safety (clean floors, walls and tablecloths, clean toilets, absence of insects and staff with clean work clothes).
• We do not consume food that has an unusual color, smell and taste.
• We always ask that meat, poultry and fish be well cooked.
• We don't eat vegetables that look like they haven't been washed well.
• We prefer freshly prepared food or food prepared at the time of order.

Some useful tips when buying food, from canteens on ships, trains, canteens, etc., are as follows:

• We choose stores that seem to apply the necessary hygiene measures for food safety.
• Ready-made sandwiches (with cold cuts, cheese, eggs, various salads or sauces, etc.) must be kept in the refrigerator.
• Ready-made snacks (cheese pies, pizzas, spinach pies, etc.) must be kept at a temperature higher than 60 °C, i.e. very hot.
• Salads, available at a salad bar, must be kept refrigerated and in special display cases.
• The showcases (showcases) with bulk ice creams must have the appropriate temperature. Ice creams should be hard, not exposed to insects and served with clean utensils.
• Meat and poultry products (rounds, skewers, etc.) must be well cooked.
• Refrigerators, with soft drinks and bottled water, must not be exposed to the sun and have the appropriate temperature (lower than 7oC).
• Cooked food, various types of dairy products or various types of fish, which have not been consumed within two hours of their purchase and have not been kept in the refrigerator, must be thrown away.

Many of the foods we consume in the summer are refreshing, but rich in fat and sugar. These should be consumed in moderation. However, we must not forget to drink plenty of water and... put the 5 COLORS in our daily diet:

• Yellow: yellow fruits (bananas) and vegetables (yellow peppers)
• Green: vegetables and salads (lettuce)
• Orange: orange fruit (oranges)
• Blue: anthocyanins (grape, sultanas)
• Red: red fruits and vegetables (red peppers, cherries)