Guidelines 10: The Safety of Your Food also Depends on You

Today consumers are increasingly attentive to food safety issues, and it is right to expect a strong commitment in this regard by the agro-food production sector and by the bodies responsible for controls. However, we must also remember that foods always contain and will always contain, in addition to the nutrients that our body needs, potentially toxic substances or agents. Thus, despite numerous efforts, it is not theoretically or practically possible to ensure zero risk, even if everyone must be committed, including the consumer, to lower the risk to the minimum possible level or in any case such as to guarantee sufficient safety for consumption.

If you live in an area at risk, not to consume exclusively local products and to vary the foods you choose. The only exception is seafood, which should be excluded from the nutrition of young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women (see Guideline “Special advice for special groups”). Pesticides are also subject to numerous checks. The results of the annual monitoring carried out by the public laboratories of official control confirm that in the vast majority of cases the residual products do not remain above the maximum permitted levels. These residues, if any, they are largely eliminated by careful washing of fruit and vegetables. In the case of organic products, pesticides are not legally usable. For hygiene reasons, vegetables and fruit, both obtained with the traditional and organic method, must be washed before being consumed in all cases.

Microbial contamination of food

Microbial contamination of food is an important food safety problem, in which the consumer has an important role to play. Microorganisms are present in the human body, in animals, in the environment and in food: some are to be considered useful (for example, they collaborate in digestive processes and are used in the preparation of foods such as cheese, yogurt, etc.), others are harmful to human health. Adopting a series of correct behaviors in everyday life allows us to reduce the risk of contracting diseases caused by these microorganisms. The three key moments in which the consumer can reduce the risk of microbial contamination are the time of purchase, preparation and storage of food.

Choice and purchase of food

In general, the cleanliness and order of the store can also indicate the seller’s attention to the quality of the product sold. It is necessary to specifically check the labels, which must clearly show the expiry date of the packaged products. The packages must not be wet, covered with frost or crushed. After purchase, the consumer must transport the frozen foods in a container thermal. It is advisable to buy them last, thus reducing the interruption times of the “cold chain” to a minimum.

The most perishable products (milk, yogurt, puddings), including loose ones, must be kept at temperatures equal to or lower than + 4 ° C. The same goes for frozen foods, which must be kept in appliances that constantly guarantee a temperature of -18 ° C or lower. Often the presence of dangerous microorganisms is not evident: in fact, contaminated foods can maintain their usual characteristics of color, smell and taste. Looking good is not a guarantee of healthy food. It is therefore useless and even dangerous to taste a product if it is suspected that it may be deteriorated. However, it is true that a rancid taste or a bad smell are undisputed indicators of unhealthy food. Particular care is appropriate in the purchase of fish. It is very important that it is presented in a refrigerated counter (better if exposed on an ice bed) and freshness is judged by the delicate (sea) smell, the protruding eye, the rosy or red gills.

FOOD PREPARATION

Wash

It is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly before cooking and before touching foods to be eaten raw or that do not need further cooking, especially when you switch from processing one food to another. If the skin is injured, infected or injured, rubber gloves should be used. It should also be remembered that pets - dogs, cats, birds, turtles - frequently carry pathogenic microorganisms that can pass from our hands to food. Each surface used for the preparation must be kept very clean, and the utensils used for a food must be washed before being used for a different food. This rule is very important in the case of simultaneous processing of cooked and raw foods (especially meat). Always subject the fruit and vegetables to abundant and careful washing (even if purchased already washed in an envelope). Moldy fruit and vegetables (even partially) must be discarded, as they can contain toxic substances produced by the molds themselves. The green parts and the sprouts of the potatoes must also be carefully removed.

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Cooking

A careful cooking of the food exerts a consistent remediation action against potentially pathogenic agents. Since foods of animal origin, such as meat, fish and eggs, are at greater risk of contamination, it is not appropriate to consume them raw or undercooked. This advice becomes a rule for the elderly, children and pregnant women. Previously cooked food, leftovers When cooked food they cool down to room temperature and must be protected from microbes that come from the external environment, and which, if present, begin to proliferate even more easily than in raw foods.

The longer the stop, the higher the risk. In order not to take risks, it is advisable to consume the food immediately after cooking. The storage of food prepared in advance must be carried out in closed containers and placed in the refrigerator. In order for cooked food to cool down quickly to the central part, it is good to put it in the refrigerator as soon as it has cooled, divided into small portions. The same applies to storing leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer: they must be portioned into small cuts so that only the quantity that will actually be consumed can be heated. Indeed, heating food more than once is not recommended. The best protection against bacteria that may have developed during storage is obtained by heating the food until it becomes very hot even inside.

CONSERVATION

Storage in pantry

Non-perishable short-term products, such as pasta, rice, flour, dried legumes, etc., can be stored, enclosed in packages or containers, at room temperature in the pantry or in the closed shelves of the kitchen, and have a remarkable stability, provided that the proper conditions of ventilation, cleanliness and low humidity are maintained. In any case, their low water content means that the multiplication of bacteria is hindered. The humidity of the air penetrates more easily into the packs, once opened, facilitating the molding and the development of insects that may be present.

For this reason, it is advisable to close the packages of pasta, rice or flour opened and placed in the pantry appropriately (with adhesive tape or in a special container). By their nature, oils do not present microbiological problems; however, when placed in contact with oxygen, they tend to turn rancid. It is therefore advisable to keep them in closed containers and with the smallest possible surface exposed to air (dark, narrow-necked bottles), away from light and sources of heat; the most easily perishable oils are those of seeds (corn, soy, sunflower, etc.). Even for canned foods it is advisable to use some precautions:

1. always read the expiry date, standards and recommendations for storage on the label;
2. clean the upper part of the metal box so as to avoid contamination of the food it contains upon opening;
3. Once the box has been opened, if part of the product has not been consumed, it is best to transfer it to a food container to avoid contact with metal and air, and put it in the refrigerator.

If at the opening of the package (jar, box) the product shows mold, gas leakage, bubbles, odor or consistency not typical of the food and FSSAI license, it must be discarded without consuming it or even tasting it. For all food stored at home, not only for those present in the pantry, the general rule is to store those purchased most recently behind or under those already present. This care allows you to consume foods before their expiration date and to reduce the amount of food to be discarded.

Storage in the refrigerator

For the storage of food for short periods, the refrigerator is the most suitable place, (as long as it is kept constantly clean, and periodically defrosted, the temperature is kept around 4/5 ° C and the food is enclosed in separate containers or packages. The refrigerator must not be overfilled to allow proper air circulation and homogeneity of temperature and, for the same reason, food should not be placed on the walls. Respect the shelf life indicated by the manufacturer in the case of intact packaging. Instead, limit that of loose products or products from open packs to a few days. Incorrect use or faulty operation of the refrigerator often cause contamination of food, and in any case it is generally wrong to place excessive trust in the refrigerator’s ability to store food for a long time. It is also essential to observe a correct disposition of the products to avoid phenomena of contamination between foods.

Using the freezer:

How to freeze, how to defrost The freezer, with temperatures of -18 ° C (three or four stars), is an excellent ally for storing food for longer periods. It should be remembered that the freezer does not carry out a remediation action, but simply blocks the growth of microorganisms, if the temperature is kept constant. However, frozen products are not eternal and the expiry date must be checked. If you freeze a food at home, you need to make small packs, writing the date on it, and put them in the freezer so that they do not touch other already frozen products (they would risk defrosting them partially). To defrost a product, the best method is, if possible, to cook it directly in boiling water or in a high-temperature saucepan (thus forming a protective layer around the food). If it is a product based on meat or raw fish (escalope’s, cordon bleu, etc.), care must be taken that cooking is complete. Alternatively, the products should be thawed in the refrigerator, by taking them out of the freezer in the morning for the evening or in the evening for the morning, or in the microwave oven or even (if in waterproof packages) in cold running water. It is not appropriate to defrost products, especially of animal origin, at room temperature or in a water bath.

How to behave:

Some important rules for food safety are reiterated below. However, it is obvious that all the aspects illustrated in this guideline must be taken into consideration.

• Vary food choices, also to reduce the risk of repeatedly ingesting foreign substances in food, which can be harmful.

• In particular, for the elderly, infants, children and pregnant women, it is necessary to completely avoid the consumption of raw or undercooked animal foods, such as: undercooked eggs or sauces based on raw eggs (eggnog, mayonnaise homemade), meat with blood, raw fish, raw seafood.

• Watch out for homemade preserves (especially in oil or in brine). They must be prepared respecting scrupulous hygiene rules. Never taste a suspect preserve.

• Do not let an already cooked food cool out of the refrigerator for too long and without covering it. It should be placed in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking (one hour in summer). When using leftovers, heat them until they are also very hot inside.

• Do not thaw food of animal origin at room temperature. If you can’t cook them directly, put them in the refrigerator beforehand or defrost them in the microwave.

• Avoid contact between different foods in the refrigerator, keeping leftovers in closed containers, eggs in their original container, etc.

• Do not have excessive confidence in the refrigerator’s ability to store your food for too long: it does not carry out any remediation action and does not preserve food forever.