In today’s world, people view food in a variety of different ways. People regard food as fuel, as a means to achieve sports performance, as an ally or enemy in creating the body of their dreams, as a proof of social status, as reward, even as punishment. But how many of us realize that food is also one of the main gateways through which bacteria enter the human body?
Food safety should be everyone’s concern, simply because we all need to eat to survive! In today’s world, the food that reaches our plates goes through a complex food supply chain in which many things could go wrong. There are many critical points in this chain where something could go wrong, resulting in the contamination of the food. Just one mistaken food safety handling could put consumers’ health in jeopardy. Something that obviously happens quite often given the numbers.
The …un-safety of food in numbers
- About 600 million people every year – almost 1 in 10 in the world – become ill after eating contaminated food.
- 420,000 deaths are reported annually due to foodborne diseases and, unfortunately, 40% of them are children under 5 years of age.
- 48,4 million cases of the 11 main parasitic illnesses are recorded on average each year. Approximately half of them – 48% – are caused by contaminated food.
- Food that contains pathogens like bacteria, viruses or parasites, or chemical residues and is not safe for consumption, can become the cause of more than 200 different diseases.
World Food Safety Day
Based on the above facts, June 7th has been established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as World Food Safety Day. It’s a coordinated attempt to promote awareness among governments, organizations, scientists, food producers and retailers and, of course, consumers, on the importance of food safety as a characteristic of our nutrition and our eating behaviors.
The role of consumers
The safety of our food is greatly dependent on our knowledge and attitude. Since we, as consumers, have little to no control over the biggest part of the food supply chain, what really matters for us is what we can actually do to improve our chances of having safe food on our plates. This becomes even more important during the summer months.
Food safety during the summer
And what makes the summer months different from the rest of the year? For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the major difference that can affect the quality of our food is temperature. High temperatures can become hazardous for food safety if we don’t make some simple changes to the ways we choose, prepare and store our food.
The danger zone
Temperatures between 5 and 60°C (41 and 140°F) are ideal for the growth of most microorganisms. At around 37°C (98.6°F), there is a large group of them that actually thrives. And unfortunately most of them are pathogens, meaning the ones that can potentially make us sick. When we keep food in the refrigerator – under 5°C – or during and shortly after the cooking process – above 60°C – the microorganisms’ growth stops or is minimized. During the warm summer months, the food can go in the dangerous temperature zone much faster and become unsafe much more easily.
Products susceptible to spoilage
There are certain products that are more “sensitive” than others, can be easier affected by microorganisms and can go bad much faster.
- Products of animal origin like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, butter, cheese – especially soft kinds – yogurt, cream, ice cream and all milk products are easily spoiled and need to always be stored away from the danger temperature zone.
- Certain types of fruit and vegetables, especially those with higher pH values (the less acidic ones), are prone to faster molding and require refrigeration. The difference is that this kind of spoilage in fruit and vegetables is commonly visible compared to the products mentioned above where there may not be any signs that it’s unsafe to consume.
- Grains and grain products, flours, pulses, seeds and nuts may not usually need refrigeration but during warm months they may become prone to spoilage and affected by fungi or other microorganisms. They should always be kept in a cool and dry place.
Summer food safety tips
In order to guard our health and our family’s health from foodborne diseases, there are simple rules that we can follow not only when we cook and serve food but also when we buy, store and preserve it.
In the store
- Choose stores that are properly air-conditioned during the summer months and have well-maintained fridge sections with visible temperature panels. The temperature should always be 4°C (39.2°F) and below.
- Shop for out-of-the-fridge products first and leave the refrigerated ones for the end of your shopping trip.
- When buying refrigerated products, make sure they are cold and they have not been stacked outside the fridge area for a long time, waiting to be loaded into it. Although you may never be sure, avoid choosing these products when you happen to notice.
- Check the meat, fish, and poultry color. It is an indicator that they are probably safe to eat but not a sufficient one, as there are kinds of spoilage without any visible signs. However, any discoloration of these products or difference from their usual color is easily spotted and proves that the product hasn’t been handled safely.
- Always check the expiration and the best before dates.
- Make sure you carry foods that need refrigeration in special thermally-insulated bags to avoid their entering the dangerous temperature zone. Don’t leave them in the car trunk for too long and when you get home, put them straight into the fridge.
Food storage at home
- Check the fridge temperature! The first and most important thing you need to do, especially if your fridge is old, is to check its temperature. An old fridge may be working at 7, 10 or more degrees Celsius and you’ll never even notice. Place a thermometer in the fridge, leave it overnight and check the temperature in the morning. Bear in mind that different compartments of the fridge may have slightly different temperatures. But none of them should be above 5°C. The ideal temperature range for the fridge is 0-4°C (32 to 39.2°F) and for the freezer it’s -10 – 0°C (14 to 32°F).
- Load your fridge according to manufacturer’s instructions. Doors are usually the hottest parts of the fridge and are used for beverages or preservative-containing foods. The bottom shelf of the fridge is usually the coldest and should be used for dairy products and meat.
- During the summer, the normal operation of the fridge is disrupted by the constant opening of the door(s) which lets warm air flow through the shelves. Try to open the door as little as possible. To avoid opening it for cold water all the time, place a big thermos of cold water on the kitchen counter or simply a big jug with added ice cubes to keep it cold for longer.
- Avoid overloading the fridge. The air circulation will be disrupted causing temperature to rise.
- Make sure your pantry is clean, dry and cool. Possible humidity and higher temperatures than usual could cause spoilage to many products.
- Avoid storing big quantities of products like flour, grains, pulses, seeds and nuts during the summer. If you have more than you would normally use in a week’s period, you can put them in the fridge in airtight containers.
Food preparation
- Avoid thawing frozen food in room temperature and never do so in direct sunlight! The food will stay in the dangerous temperature zone for long and microorganism growth is highly possible. The correct way to thaw frozen food is to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge one or more days before we use it and let it thaw in safe temperatures.
- Take the food out of the fridge when you need it. Don’t let the products stand for a long time on the kitchen counter.
- Higher temperature means more insects! Make sure the food preparation area is free of flies and other insects that are well-known sources of foodborne illnesses.
- Cook food thoroughly. Sometimes the summer heat makes hot food less enjoyable, and we tend to undercook it. But we should never forget that proper cooking, at 72°C (161.6°F) and above, for at least 2 minutes, kills microorganisms and makes all food safe for consumption.
Beware of cross-contamination!
Although it is not a temperature-related advice and it is not just for the summer, I have to remind you of the number one rule we should all follow when we cook at home: Avoid cross-contamination at all costs! Raw food like meat, poultry, fish, and their raw products may contain dangerous microorganisms – like salmonella – that could easily be transferred to cooked food or vegetables that are intended to be eaten raw. We have to be really careful with food hygiene when cooking. Use different surfaces, knives, and utensils for raw and cooked food and for different kinds of raw food like meat and vegetables. Wash your hands after handling raw meat, poultry, or fish and before switching to the use of other kinds of food. Thoroughly clean surfaces, utensils, and equipment after food preparation and before next use.
Preservation of cooked food at home
- Don’t leave cooked food outside the fridge for more than two hours. Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate.
- Don’t keep leftovers in the fridge for long. Use them in the next three days.
- Reheat leftovers thoroughly for at least 2 minutes.
- Don’t reheat and re-refrigerate food. This process increases the chances of microbial growth.
Food safety is a really huge topic that requires our full attention. Those were the main guidelines for temperature-related risks and how to avoid them during the summer. There are other equally important risk categories like food hygiene, which I shortly mentioned, chemicals, natural hazards and more. I encourage you to visit the official websites of UN, WHO and FAO on food safety that you will find at the resources below and learn more about this highly important topic. Because, really, there is no point in discussing healthy eating and nutrition for health if we fail to address the most important characteristic of our food for the protection of our health: food safety.
Resources:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/food-safety-day
https://www.who.int/foodsafety/en/
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-food-safety-day/2022
https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/WFSD/en/
https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb8661en/
https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1179647/
