Food safety experts are professionals with substantial knowledge about how food can become tainted and how to prevent food poisoning.
Maintaining kitchen hygiene or washing hands regularly is not food safety, but it is beyond that.
It can be more about how to prepare and store food correctly to prevent defile and avoid food poisoning.
From maintaining proper cooking temperature to safely handling ingredients.
One of the key elements of food safety is knowing which foods are more prone to spoilage.
Raw meat, Poultry, and Seafood need to be handled with extreme care, as these foods can create harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E.coli, and Campylobacter, which cause severe foodborne illness if not cooked properly.
Let us have a look at high-risk food items and how we can avoid issues.
Raw Eggs
Many of us consume raw eggs with runny yolks or undercooked eggs which is no-go for food safety pros.
Raw eggs are the source of Salmonella, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning according to Kimberly Baker, PhD, RD, LD Director of the Clemson Extension Food Systems and Safety Program Team.
The bacteria can infect the eggshell within the chicken’s reproductive system, but sometimes it can contaminate the inside of the egg during its formation.
Kimberly Baker further added if the egg isn’t properly washed, Salmonella bacteria on the shell can contaminate the edible portion when the egg is cracked.
How to avoid the risk?
To kill Salmonella always cook eggs to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Also, use pasteurized liquid eggs if the recipe demands egg whites, to ensure the safety of the final dish says Mr. Baker.
Undercooked Meat, Poultry, and Fish.
Mitzi Baum, CEO of STOP Foodborne Illness says if you prefer red meat, poultry, or seafood, consuming undercooked meat poses a food safety risk. It can carry multiple food poisoning illnesses, including Campylobacter, Listeria, and Toxoplasma.
Symptoms of these food poisoning illnesses include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever, and life-threatening complications can occur, she adds.
How to avoid the risk?
To avoid the risk of food poisoning, always cook fish and meat according to USDA recommended temperature.
- Veal and Lamb: 145 degrees Fahrenheit
- All Poultry: 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Fish and Shellfish: 145 degrees Fahrenheit
- Ground Meat: 160 degrees Fahrenheit
Raw Cookie Dough
Food experts recommend avoiding raw cookie dough both readymade and homemade as it contains uncooked flour and raw eggs which can harbor E.coli and Salmonella.
Baum explains E.coli is one of the most common types of bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
People with weak immune may get affected immediately such as kids.
How to avoid risk?
Mr. Baker says baking exposes the dough to temperatures above 145 degrees, which effectively kills harmful bacillus. Alternatively, if you want to safely enjoy raw cookie dough, use heat-treated flour and emit the eggs from the recipe.
Unpasteurized Dairy Products
Unpasteurized dairy products are made from milk that has not gone under pasteurization. It is a process that heats the milk to kill harmful bacteria and bacillus.
Consuming raw dairy products can cause serious bacterial infections such as Listeria, and Campylobacter.
This bacteria can cause illness which includes gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and even life-threatening conditions, particularly in children, pregnant women, and kids.
How to avoid risk?
Buying raw dairy products from a reputable supplier is essential. The supplier which follows strict hygiene practices, carries regular health checks on animals.
To prevent bacterial growth raw dairy should be stored at the correct temperature to prevent bacterial growth. If you still want to consume raw then pasteurize the milk at home by heating it to 161°F for at least 15 seconds.
Food in Swollen Cans
It’s good to avoid eating swollen or bugling canned food. The swelling is an indication of contamination with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium frequently linked with canned foods because it frequently prospers in low-oxygen environments at room temperature.
The bacteria grow and produce gas which occupies space within the sealed container and makes the top pop or sides expand.
How to avoid risk?
When a can of food swells or expands, it means the food isn’t refined properly.
This is a clear warning sign of potential botulism risk and shouldn’t be ignored adds Mr. Baker.
Conclusion:
Many foods can be part of a healthy and balanced diet, so it’s crucial to be aware of certain items that pose potential health risks.
By following proper food preparation and storage guidelines individuals can reduce the risk of contamination.