Oysters Off the Menu: Insights from a Microbiologist on Avoiding Food Poisoning
If you want to steer clear of food poisoning and its unpleasant symptoms like stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, senior microbiology lecturer Dr. Primrose Freestone has some dos and don’ts to keep in mind. Dr. Freestone, from the University of Leicester, shares her expert advice on how to avoid getting sick from improperly prepared food. Here are her top tips.
Avoid BBQs and Picnics
While enjoying a picnic or BBQ is a summer tradition, Dr. Freestone warns that the risk of food poisoning increases when food is consumed outdoors. This is due to unclean hands, insects carrying germs, and temperature fluctuations. Dr. Freestone rarely eats alfresco and emphasizes the importance of hand hygiene before handling food. Unfortunately, outdoor eating doesn’t always provide convenient opportunities for handwashing, and hand sanitizers may not effectively kill all germs. Additionally, the presence of flies, wasps, and ants during outdoor meals can spread harmful bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and listeria.
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Be Cautious of Buffets
Partaking in a hotel, restaurant, or all-inclusive holiday buffet may seem like a treat, but Dr. Freestone reminds us that they come with risks. Buffet food is often left exposed to the elements, making it vulnerable to contamination from insects, dust, and other diners. It’s challenging to determine how long this food has been on display. Food that’s lukewarm instead of piping hot, below 60C (140F), is particularly prone to hosting bacteria that cause food poisoning. Dr. Freestone suggests sticking to toast and monitoring the replacement of perishable items at the buffet.
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Avoid Shellfish
Dr. Freestone strongly advises against consuming raw shellfish, such as oysters, mussels, and cockles. Despite their popularity, even seemingly fresh and odorless shellfish can harbor dangerous bacteria like Vibrio, causing illness and diarrhea. Raw oysters are especially notorious for carrying norovirus, which can enter their growing environment via human sewage. Any form of raw shellfish poses a risk of food poisoning.
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Avoid Bagged Salad
Premade bags of lettuce, spinach, and rocket are convenient for many, but Dr. Freestone advises against them due to the risk of E. coli, salmonella, and listeria contamination. When packed in bags with the salad juices, these bacteria can multiply by up to 1,000 times. Cases of food poisoning have been traced back to bagged rocket. However, if refrigerated, thoroughly washed, and promptly consumed, the risk associated with bagged salad is low for most individuals.
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Rethink Your Cooking Habits
Dr. Freestone provides valuable insights into how to avoid food poisoning in your own kitchen. Key tips include washing hands before and after handling food, using separate chopping boards for raw and cooked items, and avoiding reheating cooked rice due to the potential presence of Bacillus cereus spores. Dr. Freestone also recommends not blindly trusting use-by dates; instead, she suggests using your senses to inspect food for signs of spoilage.
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Avoid Taking Leftovers
Dr. Freestone advises against taking home leftovers from restaurants, even if they’re intended for pets. The two-hour time limit for food to be refrigerated after cooking is often exceeded, rendering the leftovers unsafe to eat. Swollen packaging or any signs of unusual appearance or smell should prompt you to discard the food, regardless of the stated use-by date.
Perplexity and Burstiness:
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