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Food poisoning, summer's common disease

1 August 2014 15:53 (UTC+04:00)
Food poisoning, summer's common disease

By Nigar Orujova

We all know well that one of the most common problems in the hot summer is food poisoning.

High temperature affects negatively not only fast food but also home-made food. Food poisoning comes from pathogenic organism through unsafe products.

There is no doubt that outdoor eating during summer is an enjoyable and entertaining hobby but we should never forget about foodborne illness.

Bacteria in food multiply fast in hot and humid weather especially when the foods are not stored properly. Preparing and eating food outdoors is very common during summer. The main problem emerges where there is no refrigerator to keep the food safe.

Food poisoning can cause vomiting and diarrhoea and it is more serious for people with weak immune systems particularly children and the elderly. However, food poisoning can be avoided on the last hot month of the year with some simple steps.

To avoid food poisoning, one must simply follow hygiene rules at home and buy food from reliable catering outlets and grocery stores. Try to avoid eating fast food during the summer, do not buy food at beaches, and pay special attention to children's nutrition.

We should be more careful with meat, fruits and vegetables, which have a short life especially in summer. Keep salads and meat safe in fridge at 5 °C or less until cooking or serving.

Keep hot food hot at 60 °C or above 75 °C, if you do not want to cool food straight away.

If you want to put hot food in refrigerator, do not wait until it is completely cool. Put hot food in the fridge as soon as the steam stops rising.

Keep raw meat, chicken and seafood away from cooked food to avoid bacteria. Meanwhile, thaw frozen food right before cooking, preferentially in microwave.

Store leftover food no longer than five days and do not overfill the fridge. Wash fruits and vegetable thoroughly to avoid poisoning.

Do not risk eating food that was out of fridge for four hours, especially perishable products, most probably you will be poisoned by it and that does not worth it.

Another reason for food contamination in the summer is consumption of tomatoes, watermelons, sea products, mushrooms, and ice creams. One of the most serious cases of food poisoning is botulism, which is mostly caused in Azerbaijan by eating homemade canned vegetables.

If got poisoned again, you need to act quickly. First, you must wash your stomach from inside and do a cleansing enema. Avoid dehydration and drink a lot of water. Meanwhile consult a doctor to rule out more dangerous diseases as botulism, salmonella, cholera, typhoid and dysentery.

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