The Curious Case of the E-coli Carrot
Gemma McKenzie, Lecturer in Food Studies and Hospitality is our guest blogger this week. As Halloween approaches, here she is to scare us about the dangers within our food…
Did you know that the number of cases of food poisoning in the UK exceeds 1 million annually? According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) 1.5% of our population are falling ill thanks to food bourne illnesses.
Was it the chicken that caused it?
Well, poultry is indeed the biggest offender linked to many food poisoning outbreaks however you might be surprised to know that vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds are close contenders. So to those on a meat free diet don’t become complacent – those carrots can be dangerous!
Can I really get food poisoning from a carrot?
YES! Bacteria is everywhere and most of the time it is harmless however pathogenic bacteria are those that can cause harm to humans. Consider the source of a carrot for example . It is grown in a field in soil. This field was likely previously inhabited by cattle to fertilize the top soil (and we all know what that natural fertiliser is!). The field may be irrigated with water from local streams which is also used by animals for drinking and bathing. So we can start to build up a picture here of that carrot seeming a lot less innocent that first thought.
Should I stop eating carrots?
NO! But you should start washing your vegetables before storing them in your kitchen. It is the soil generally that is contaminated so by removing the soil you are reducing the risk of associated food bourne illness.
Reheating rice is Dangerous? You can’t ‘B Cereus’
Have you ever been told not to reheat your leftover take way? Well, that is some good advice! How can rice be so dangerous? Well, rice naturally contains a pathogen called Bacillus Cereus. When cooked for the first time, most of the bacteria is killed off making it safe for us to eat. However, this pathogen can create spores – these are highly resistant structures that are difficult to destroy which also release toxins. These toxins are heat resistant so remain in the rice even when re-heated. Symptoms include vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea – so don’t be tempted with last night’s take away for breakfast – just bin it!
Some top tips for safe food
Time to grow…
Time is the real danger – did you know bacteria can replicate on average every 20-30 minutes? A chicken breast may have 1000 bacteria on it at 9am but by 2pm this may have increased to 32 million! If this food was in the fridge, then the bacteria would not be able to multiply. Our bodies have grown resistant to bacteria and can cope with small quantities – but 32 million is a little excessive.
Keeping Cool…
Bacteria like warm conditions – in fact, our body temperature is ideal for many pathogenic bacteria. Keep food refrigerated – most bacteria won’t grow in in temperatures below 5 degrees C
Danger Zone…
Yes, you may well be thinking Kenny Loggins and Top Gun now (It is certainly playing in my head) but the danger zone is actually a food safety terminology used to describe the key temperatures for bacterial growth: 5 – 63 degrees C. Temperatures below 5 degrees C will prevent bacteria from multiplying and over 63 degrees will kill off many bacteria. We don’t want our food to be in the danger zone for any period of time so prepare your food quickly then cook or refrigerate. FYI the average UK room temperature is 20 degrees C so believe me that pizza that’s sitting on your worktop might be moving under the microscope!
Keep it clean…
Wash your fruit, vegetables and salad before eating – especially if you are eating them raw. Remember that fertilizer we mentioned previously…
Sanitize your surfaces…
Ensure you are keeping work surfaces in your kitchen clean – you cannot prevent bacteria entering your kitchen but you can stop it from multiplying and you can keep bacteria at safe levels simply by using anti-bacterial sprays or other natural products such as vinegar
Trash last night’s takeaway…
Let’s face it, you probably didn’t even put it in the fridge so the bacteria build up from last night’s dinner… it’s not worth it. Put it in the bin.
Bacteria bake off
The cooking process will kill off most bacteria making food safe so ensure your food it cooked thoroughly. In Scotland, food establishments must by law, cook food to a minimum of 75 degrees C when cooking for the first time – perhaps time to add a thermometer to your Amazon wish list! When re-heating food (but not rice, we’ve established that’s not a good idea) temperatures should be in excess of 82 degrees C
Keep enemies apart…
Raw foods (especially raw meats) could contaminate other foods. This is particularly dangerous if the food that are contaminated are ready to eat (imagine raw chicken juices dripping on to your lovely cold quiche - yum) . Avoid cross contamination by covering up all food and storing raw meats at the bottom of your fridge.
Safe Food Principles:
Cook
Clean
Separate
Chill (literally and metaphorically!)
