It is likely that many of you are familiar with the word salmonella or know someone who has suffered from food poisoning, even if you have never experienced it firsthand (or at least you think so). It is also likely that they think that these cases are rare, and that they are not too worried about what is known as food safety.
But it depends on these conditions and practices that make it up that the foods we eat every day do not make us sick, and that is what food technologist Mario Sánchez emphasizes in his new and first book Don't sink your teeth into tomato pocho (Plataforma Editorial) .
With a lot of humor, the expert explains why food poisoning occurs, "which is no small feat" and reveals what common kitchen practices put health at risk.
Humor is very present in his book, but he insists a lot that food security is not a joke.
Poisoning and problems associated with the consumption of spoiled food are a delicate matter. If I tell it from humor it is to try to reach more people, but whoever reads the book will be left with the message that it is something with which you have to be careful. Food poisoning is much more than a belly ache and can do quite a bit of damage.
Some people more than others.
Especially for children, the elderly, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people. In the case of children, we must be especially cautious due to their low weight, which makes the poisoning more serious.
It happened to you.
That's how it is. Perhaps unconsciously it has influenced me to end up dedicating myself to this. When I was four years old I had salmonellosis and spent several days in the hospital. We never knew the origin, although at that age it was most likely due to poor food handling at home.
Is there a greater risk of getting poisoned at home than in restaurants?
Yes. I associate it with an issue of trust. When we are at home we are in our comfort zone, and we think that nothing can happen because we are the ones handling the food. But in that environment of relaxation and trust is where problems really arise.
There are common practices in many domestic kitchens that promote these poisonings, for example, cracking eggs on the counter.
Perhaps it is not the most dangerous practice, but it is one of the most common. It is not recommended because the egg, a food that can naturally contain salmonella, comes into contact with the countertop, the edge of the pans or any area that will not receive sufficient heat treatment or will not be cleaned afterwards, and The chances of these pathogenic bacteria colonizing the kitchen increase. But I insist, it is not one of the riskiest practices and, if the area is cleaned and disinfected after cracking the egg, it can be done. It is more problematic not to cook this food correctly.
The egg is very sensitive to contamination and bacterial proliferation.
Exactly, because it passes through the hen's cloaca and sometimes contains traces of feces. Added to this is that its shell is quite sensitive, that is, it degrades easily, and cannot be washed. In fact, in the industry it is prohibited to clean the eggs to prevent the cuticle - the protective membrane of the food - from degrading.
The CIS revealed a few weeks ago that 53.9% of Spaniards like their tortilla rare.
We have all eaten a slightly curdled tortilla at some point and it is very good, but it can be dangerous. If the egg is not cooked, it means that it has not reached sufficient temperature to kill salmonella and the chances of poisoning increase. This year, precisely, the salmonellosis outbreak at the Casa Dani restaurant in Madrid was very popular. These are anecdotal cases, but it can also happen at home.
How long does it take for food poisoning to manifest?
It is difficult to answer, because there are different types. Salmonella poisoning can take between 24 and 48 hours to manifest, but depending on the type of bacteria and the amount of microorganisms ingested, symptoms can appear instantly.
He warns that wooden spoons are also a danger.
Wood is a porous material, that is, it easily absorbs food juices. That is why it is not recommended from the point of view of food safety. Another drawback is that it is difficult to clean, and it cannot be put in the dishwasher, because it absorbs moisture and dirt and microorganisms adhere more easily. Mold may also appear, because it is a material that is very difficult to dry correctly. I advise against its use, and people get angry when I say it, but it is a recommendation. At home, everyone can do whatever they want, but it is better to use stainless steel or resistant plastic utensils.
You also have to be careful with cloths and scouring pads.
Yes, because what is known as biofilm, a type of group of bacteria, can develop in them. They don't always have to be pathogenic, but if so, we have a problem. This happens more easily with cloths and scouring pads, because they are for daily use and contain a lot of moisture and food, that is, nutrients. Furthermore, biofilms survive even bleach: once they have formed, it is very difficult to eliminate them, which is why it is recommended that these objects be renewed frequently.
Soaking them in bleach doesn't help?
It may help to extend the useful life of the cloth, but it will not make it last forever. There comes a point where it ends up deteriorating and it is difficult to clean it properly.
The book also refers to the expiration date of food. Is it dangerous to consume products that expired a day ago?
We should not miss a single day, because the date that the manufacturer considers safe has been exceeded. The food may contain a worrying amount of bacteria, even if it is then cooked thoroughly, and is no longer suitable for consumption. With the best before date we have a little more margin because technically we are not going to get poisoned, but rather the food is going to start to lose qualities and will not be as appetizing.
What if they are frozen on the day they are going to expire?
It's good practice. But once the food is frozen, it won't last forever, which is another mistake people make. Depending on the product, it should not be in the freezer for more than two or three months, in some cases up to six. If it is a lean meat, with little fat, it will last longer. The same with fish: blue ones last less because they are fattier and go rancid.
He also makes a small criticism of batch cooking.
It's a slap on the wrist. Many people, especially on Instagram, give incorrect advice. Rice and pasta should only be in the refrigerator for 24 hours, but on social networks it is often recommended to refrigerate them all week, when this increases the risk of Bacillus cereus poisoning. This bacteria has been found in cereals since they were cultivated, and when we cook them, it produces toxins that are very difficult to eliminate. If we store cooked rice and pasta longer than we should, we give room for this microorganism to reproduce and can harm us. Batch cooking is fine, but these foods are better to cook immediately.
More dangerous fads: eating raw meat.
There we have to see what meat we are talking about. If it is chicken, it is a real attack on health, because it can contain a bacteria called Campylobacter that causes more than twice as many poisonings as salmonella. For the WHO, it is the main bacterial agent involved in gastroenteritis worldwide. It's not a joke. In the case of other meats, we would have to see which ones, under what conditions, if they are well handled...
And what happens to matured meats?
A few years ago I raised many doubts. In restaurants it became a trend and there were even those who matured it at home, but it was not a regulated practice nor was there any official report to support it. It was a real danger. Now it is more limited, because the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a report stating that aging meat for a maximum of 35 days at less than 3 ° C is safe. But maturing it for a year or more, as is sometimes done, can be dangerous.
It also delves into the legends and explains the relationship that the Salem trials have with mold.
It was a theory a while ago, but it has more and more support. There are historians who attribute the mass hysteria that occurred at the Salem trials to possible poisoning by a fungus that grew on rye, a very common ingredient in bread at the time. This mushroom can cause hallucinations, which could be due to people seeing inexplicable things that were attributed to witchcraft.
Also regarding mold, the book advises against a very common practice: removing it from the food and consuming the undamaged part.
It is a difficult time to give this type of advice due to the problem that exists with food waste. But if we are risking our health, there is no possible excuse. When a food has mold on the surface, even a little, you don't know how far it has gone. Most likely, if it manifests itself on the outside, it is all over the food. Molds are microscopic, only part of their activity is visible, but the rest of the product may be contaminated. That is why it is recommended to throw it in the trash.
Do potatoes with sprouts or green parts also have to be thrown away?
In these conditions, they can present a toxin called solanine that grows naturally. It is difficult to get poisoned by this compound, because with cooking it is eliminated quite a bit or it leaves a very powerful bitter taste, so people usually throw away the food. The problem is that solanine poisoning can be very serious, so you have to be careful to avoid scares. In this case, you can cut the damaged part of the food and a little more, without having to throw it away. But if the potato is full of green spots and sprouts, like a bonsai, it is best to throw it away.
"Well, I've never done this and nothing has ever happened to me," some people will tell you.
We can spend our whole lives doing it wrong and nothing happens, or we don't associate it with poisoning. Many people believe that it is an exaggeration, but it is important to say that this exists without creating alarm in order to make the best decisions.
Is there much left to learn?
Yes. There is a lot of ignorance regarding these things. People believe that they are not going to get poisoned because they cooked that stew or that tortilla, but at home is where most poisoning occurs, even more than in bars and restaurants.
