Mara Galmarini
| January 29, 2022 08:00 am | | Reading time: 4 minutes |
| January 29, 2022 08:00 am |
| | Reading time: 4 minutes |
If you only have a few seconds, read these lines:
The high summer temperatures can be ideal for enjoying a picnic in the park or on the beach. But the warmth is also tempting for many harmful microorganisms that, under these conditions, can easily thrive in food.
On January 12, the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Products (ANMAT) issued an alert after detecting an outbreak of botulism in the province of Misiones that affected a total of 18 people, including 3 deaths, from the consumption of homemade sausages contaminated with the Clostridium botulinum bacterium.
In this note we tell you what foodborne diseases are, how to prevent them and what foods are considered critical in the summer.
Infections and Food Poisoning
Food is our main source of energy and nutrition. But they are also the ideal habitat for the development of many microorganisms that can cause harm and even death.
Food infections occur when we eat food contaminated with: harmful bacteria (called pathogens) such as Salmonella or Listeria, viruses such as hepatitis A, or even parasites such as Trichinella spiralis, which causes trichinosis.
On the other hand, poisoning occurs when we ingest toxins produced by bacteria, fungi or algae. Very far from “the dog is dead, the rabies is over”, the toxins can be present and active even when the microorganism that generated them is not there. This is how diseases such as botulism and red tide occur.
Foodborne diseases (abbreviated as ETAs) occur throughout the year, but those caused by biological agents occur more frequently in summer. "At temperatures close to 35ºC, microorganisms grow very well if they have time, water, nutrients and little acidity in the food," Roxana Furman and María Claudia Degrossi, members of the Cazabacteria team, explained to Chequeado and authors of the book “How to cook without poisoning your family”.
In general, we associate them with gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. But in botulism (the responsible toxin may be in sausages and homemade preserves) and red tide (transmitted by bivalve molluscs), the symptoms are neurological (paralysis, blurred vision).
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome can lead to acute kidney failure while Listeria (can be found in cold meats and refrigerated seafood, for example) gives flu-like symptoms.
The duration and intensity of symptoms varies depending on the concentration of bacteria or toxins present, the amount consumed, and the person's weight. That is why they do not have the same impact on all diners.
Not all foods are the same... especially not in summer
If we are lucky enough to spend a few days on the Argentine Atlantic Coast, it may be tempting to collect clams or mussels; shellfish that can be enjoyed in many recipes. But attention! Due to their diet, clams can cause the disease called red tide.
“Clams feed on microscopic algae that produce the toxin. This remains in the mollusk and is not destroyed by cooking”, explained to Chequeado Carolina Busso Casati, PhD in Bromatology and professor of Food Microbiology in Food Engineering at the Argentine Catholic University (UCA).
In summer we also tend to eat more salads and fruits. That lettuce (and many other vegetables) that seems harmless was in contact with fecal matter from various animals and may be contaminated with pathogens. That is why it is not enough to wash it with a little water, but correct sanitization is important. Here are some extra tips.
Deli meats, great picnic companions, can become contaminated with a bacterium called Listeria. That is why it is key that that sandwich that goes to the beach is refrigerated most of the time. And if you spent the day in the sun, do not return to the refrigerator at home. “Listeria is especially risky for pregnant women and the elderly,” warned food technology graduate Roxana Furman.
Not all microorganisms like heat, some survive in cool places. As fresh as ice cream. If they are not made under good manufacturing practices, bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (toxin-producing) and enteropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli can develop in artisan ice creams.
In all seasons of the year, the highest risk foods are those that involve a lot of handling. “Dishes with chopped fillings, which are cooked and then left at room temperature, are the ones that make us sick most often,” said Busso Casati, who is also a researcher at the UCA food preservation laboratory.
And, by way of example, he added: "Empanadas, cannelloni, closed sandwiches, and other foods where there is no air also favor the development of harmful microorganisms."
Eat and not die trying
According to statistics from the Epidemiological Surveillance System of Foodborne Diseases, 40% of reported outbreaks in Argentina occur in the home.
A common mistake is not keeping food at safe temperatures. “The dangerous temperature zone covers a range between 4º to 60ºC: food must be kept very cold or very hot. Warmth is our worst enemy”, indicated Busso Casati. That is why it is so important to maintain the cold chain, especially in homemade foods.
Other key points include: maintain kitchen and hand hygiene at all times; separate raw from cooked foods to avoid recontamination, fully cook food, always use safe water and raw materials from reliable sources.
“Many of the hygiene measures have always been in the food industry, but they were emphasized with the presence of COVID-19, and that helped to reduce the ETAs”, stressed Busso Casati.
It is important to remember that, to comply with the law, food cannot leave the manufacturing plant contaminated. That is why, while the packaging is closed, there should be no harmful microorganisms that could develop, maintaining safety for the consumer.
Thus, ANMAT recommends not consuming foods that are not authorized by the corresponding health authority, verifying that they have a National Food Product Registry (RNPA) and National Establishment Registry (RNE) or SENASA Registry Number.
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