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| Food poisoning: Everyday food that can cause illness or death |
Recently, 26 girls from a private college in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh had to be admitted to the hospital after complaining of vomiting, headache, and dizziness. The college is located at Bakrayasumadaram in Anantapuram district.
These students had food in the college hostel the night before they fell ill, after which they got food poisoning.
Earlier, 29 female students had to be admitted to the hospital in Tekli in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh due to food poisoning. All these girls were staying in a hostel for backward-class girls.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an average of 1.6 million people worldwide suffer from food poisoning every year or become ill after eating contaminated food.
Worldwide, an average of 340 children die every day from eating contaminated food.
Let's know about the things in our diet that can cause food poisoning and how it can be prevented.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some everyday food ingredients can cause food poisoning:
raw meat
When a person eats undercooked or raw meat, their risk of food poisoning increases. Because Campylobacter bacteria are found in it.
Other bacteria can be found in raw or undercooked meat. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing raw meat carefully or not at all.
According to the CDC, washing raw meat spreads the bacteria it contains to nearby dishes. It can affect the whole kitchen.'
The CDC says that if meat is cooked correctly, bacteria are killed.
The CDC recommends that if food is left over after eating, it should be refrigerated within two hours.
According to the CDC, if meat is to be refrigerated, it should be cut into pieces. This will cool it down quickly and slow down the growth of bacteria.
Eating raw or undercooked meat increases the risk of diseases like cysticercosis, says nutritionist Dr. Pratibha Lakshmi. Therefore, one should always eat only cooked meat.
On the other hand, eating uncooked fast food made of meat can lead to food poisoning.
Dr. RSB Naidu says, “The kebabs and tikkas you see in restaurants and sold on the roadside are not cooked properly. This meat is not cooked in such a way that all the germs inside it are killed. This is the reason why all these foods often cause food poisoning.
Vegetables that are not washed
Eating fresh green vegetables has many benefits. However, sometimes these vegetables cause many diseases and infections.
Raw vegetables can contain bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria. Raw vegetables are at risk of bacterial infection everywhere they go from the field to the kitchen.
Many times green vegetables are also affected by kitchen dirt, so raw green vegetables should be eaten after washing well.
"It's also essential where the vegetables you eat are grown," says Dr. Pratibha Lakshmi.
She says that 'today, vegetables are grown in a very unsafe environment. Many types of pesticides are sprayed on them. Therefore, vegetables and fruits should be washed thoroughly in salt water and consumed. Otherwise, there is always a risk of allergy or infection from them.
Dr. RSB Naidu also agrees with Dr. Pratibha.
"We should mainly talk about cleanliness," he says. We often hear reports of people getting food poisoning after eating panipuri or collapsing and having to be admitted to the hospital. The main reason for this is the lack of cleanliness.
Either all these vendors need to clean their vegetables properly. Or the place where they cook is not clean.
"It could also be that the pani puri or chaat seller does not take care of his cleanliness, which also spreads the infection."
Raw milk and milk products
Non-pasteurized or unpasteurized milk and products made from it also pose a risk of food poisoning.
This is because bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Cryptosporidium can be present in raw milk.
Ice cream and yogurt made from such milk can also be harmful.
Pasteurizing or boiling milk kills the bacteria in it. Heating milk does not make any significant difference in its nutritional content.
Dr. Pratibha Lakshmi says that drinking raw milk also increases the risk of intestinal TB.
She says, “Many people say that milk should be drunk raw. They give the example of children drinking their mother's milk for this.
However, there is a difference between mother's milk and animal milk. How much did the cow or buffalo milker took care of cleanliness? Did he wash his hands with soap or not? In which vessel did you drink milk? Where was the milk kept after drinking the milk? These things are very important, that's why it is better to drink warm milk.
raw eggs
Raw eggs contain salmonella bacteria. These bacteria can be present in the egg even when it is clearly visible and there should be no cracks in the shell.
That is why experts suggest that only pasteurized or boiled eggs should be used. The CDC recommends that eggs should be boiled until both the white and yolk are set.
The CDC recommends that when refrigerating eggs, the refrigerator temperature should be set according to the eggs.
Use only fresh eggs whenever possible.
Dietician Neeta Dilip says, "Many times eggs break after being stored for a long time. Eating such eggs can lead to many types of infections. Therefore, it is better to check the date of eggs while buying them and use only fresh eggs as far as possible.
raw fish
Raw fish contains many types of viruses along with bacteria. Therefore, if fish is eaten raw, there is a fear of contracting various diseases or many times death.
That's why the CDC recommends that fish be eaten after being thoroughly washed and cooked.
Similarly, regarding shrimp, the CDC advises that "shrimp grown in contaminated water may contain norovirus." Therefore, they should be thoroughly washed and cooked until their raw smell disappears.
Similarly, Dr. Pratibha Lakshmi says, 'When buying fish, people should always check with the seller where it was caught.'
"Nowadays, fish are raised in dirty and polluted environments," she says. Many types of infections can be caused by eating such fish.
Raw fish should never be eaten. The same applies to medicines made from fish. How are fish bred? How much do catchers care about their cleanliness? These things should be taken care of.
Sprouted grain
Sprouted or sprouted grains are very good for your health though. They thrive in mild heat and humidity. However, bacteria also grow very quickly in such an environment.
As a result, the sprouts sometimes contain bacteria such as salmonella.
Dr. Pratibha Lakshmi says that in the case of sprouts,, we should keep these things in mind: For example, how long have the sprouts been kept? How long were they in the open air?
"Sprouts should not be soaked in water for too long," she says. Similarly, they should not be kept in closed places for a long time. Where there is good air movement, there is less chance of bacterial growth in the sprouts.
Kneaded stale flour
Whether it is wheat flour or any other type, kneading it creates a variety of bacteria. Therefore, the CDC recommends consuming raw wheat flour immediately.
It should never be kneaded and used the next day.
"The fresher the dough is kneaded, the healthier it is," says dietician Neeta Dilip. Be it vegetables or flour, they should not be kept in the kitchen for long. Because with time bacteria start growing in them.
"That's why the risk of infection spreading from stored flour is high."
It should also be kept in mind that fear of bacteria or food poisoning should not drive the idea of cleanliness into the head like an obsession.
"Bacteria are not always bad for us," says Dr. Pratibha Lakshmi. They also increase our immunity i.e. our power to fight diseases. There are many bacteria in our stomachs. They protect us from many deadly infections.