Refrigeration and a good food preservation method are essential to avoid food poisoning.
When a person ingests food (or water) with bacteria, parasites, or viruses, they are at risk of food poisoning.
Older people are more at risk of food poisoning
While no one is immune from food poisoning, there are certain groups that the illness (usually lasting 1 to 3 days) is more likely to be more severe.
Mistake (that we all make) when cooking scrambled eggs that increases the risk of salmonella infection
This is the case for older people. As you get older, your organs don’t recognize and destroy germs as easily as they do as adults. According to expert data, half of people over 65 with food poisoning from salmonellosis or E. coli are hospitalized.
The same thing happens with children under 5 years old, due to their still developing immune systempeople who are immunocompromised or pregnant, who are ten times more likely to contract listeria.
The expiration date does not match the expiration date
According to the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition, under the Ministry of Consumption, it is important to distinguish between expiration date and best before date.
The expiration date is present in very perishable foods such as minced meat, fresh fish… and indicates “the point until which the food can be safely consumed.”
In such cases, you need to believe what is written on the package.
And knowing, moreover, that for its implementation it is necessary to follow the instructions for preserving food in order to prevent its spoilage ahead of time and to avoid food poisoning.
In the event that you think that you will not consume it entirely before the due date, the best option is to freeze it.
Therefore, its preservation can be flattered beyond its expiration date (provided it is done correctly) and subject to the manufacturer’s instructions:
-
“Keep in the freezer until the expiration date”,
-
“cook without defrosting” or
-
“pre-thaw and consume within 24 hours.”
On the other hand, the expiration date only indicates that the quality of the product has decreased, but, yes, does not entail a risk to our health.
As explained by the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency,
-
“Shelf life is more a matter of quality than food safety”
What “expired” foods can you eat?
The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has published a list of 10 products with an expiration date that can be consumed days or weeks after the expiration date.
The only thing to keep in mind is that they are unopened and show no signs of spoilage.
The OCU warns that “yes, they may have the worst taste or texture” because, as AESAN pointed out, it’s a matter of “product quality”.
-
Yoghurts.
-
Bread.
-
French fries and nuts.
-
Buns and cookies.
-
Soft drinks and alcohol.
-
Pasta, rice and beans.
-
Jam and butter.
-
Sausages and hard cheeses.
-
Soups and sauces.
-
Tomato packaging.
For fruits and vegetables“Your taste is the best judge.”
They can be eaten as long as they are not too bad or spoiled. And rotten or moldy areas should be removed and can be eaten without any problem.
The same does not happen with meat and fishtwo fresh foods that spoil quickly.
After the expiration date, they can’t be usedbecause the risk of germ transfer is very high.
And that will definitely cause food poisoning. Salmonellosis is one of the most common food poisonings, especially from eggs.
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Myths and truth
What are the symptoms of food poisoning?
Although they vary depending on the source of infection, most food poisonings present with one or more symptoms:
-
Nausea.
-
vomit
-
Diarrhea.
-
Abdominal pain and cramps.
-
Heat.
One of the most frequent is salmonellosis, the bacteria of which are the main carriers of birds and reptiles.
In this case, symptoms can last up to ten days, although it is a mild infection.
Spanish Digestive Foundation (FEAD) indicates that after a doctor’s diagnosis, we should follow a bland diet with plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration that causes diarrhea.
It is also important to eat small meals and, above all, to rest. Only in the most severe cases should antibiotics be used.
In the case of eggs, one of the foods that cause the most salmonellosis, we can resort to foods such as scoundrelwhich are used in professional cooking as a substitute for eggs in the shell to prevent food poisoning.
