- They remember that young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system due to treatment or chronic illnesses are at greater risk of suffering from poisoning and that it becomes more serious
- They advise avoiding undercooked meat, especially minced meat, unpasteurized dairy products, raw egg products, raw unpeeled vegetables if they have not been washed properly, homemade preserves, and desserts with cream or cream at room temperature.
professionals Ribera healthcare group have warned today about the most frequent causes of food poisoning in summer, caused above all by uncontrolled heat on food, by leaving it in the sun or in environments with high temperatures, and poor handling, by breaking the cold chain or Neglecting hygiene measures for hands and utensils.
"Food poisoning can be caused by various infectious agents, which can be bacteria, viruses or parasites, and also by their toxins, which contaminate the food we eat," explains Dr. Ángel Lancho, a specialist from the Digestive Service of the Ribera Polusa hospital, which adds that the most frequent are those produced by bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, or E. Coli or Listeria "that proliferate in poorly cooked or preserved food, producing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, malaise or fever".
Cristina Ortega, nutritionist at the Torrejón University Hospital, remember that uncontrolled heat "generates an accelerated maturation effect on food and can trigger alterations in the growth of pathogenic organisms in them and cause poisoning." Dr. Ángel Martín Joven, head of the Emergency Department of the Ribera Povisa Hospital, in Vigo, explains that "bacteria multiply more easily at temperatures between 5 and 65 degrees and, therefore, it is advisable to keep food in the fridge below 5 degrees, and in the case of hot meals , cook them above 65 degrees.”
Dr. Lancho emphasizes that "the same poisoning in a group of people can cause very mild symptoms in some, no symptoms in others and serious illness and even life-threatening in the most vulnerable." "This depends, in addition to the amount of spoiled food eaten, on various individual factors, such as age or health," he adds. But without a doubt, all the professionals agree in stating that "the people most at risk of suffering from food poisoning and of it becoming more serious are young children and the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system, either due to chronic diseases or treatments such as those administered for cancer or some autoimmune diseases”, as detailed by Dr. Lancho. This does not mean, he adds, that "people who do not meet these characteristics, who a priori are more resistant, are exempt from risk, since certain causative agents can even cause serious illness in young and healthy adults".
And which foods are safer and which ones are better to avoid so as not to risk poisoning? Cristina Ortega explains that "all foods that are in optimal storage conditions, well-cooked foods, that have been exposed to high-temperature sites for a certain time, and pasteurized dairy products do not have to cause any problems." For Dr. Lancho "it is practically impossible to talk about completely safe food" and he considers "it is more important to know the basic measures to prevent the growth of microorganisms". In other words, the prevention of this type of situation, as Dr. Martín Joven assures: "Frequent washing of hands and kitchen utensils is key."
All of them recommend avoiding undercooked meat, especially minced meat, raw fish, unpasteurized dairy products, products that contain raw eggs such as tortillas without curdling on the inside or dishes that contain mayonnaise, desserts with cream or custard at room temperature, Vegetables that are eaten raw without peeling and that have not previously been washed or the hygiene of the hands of those who have handled them cannot be guaranteed, rice or other stews prepared in advance and that are kept at a risk temperature for several hours and foods ready for consumption. consumption when the conditions of use, conservation or expiration date have not been respected.
In addition, they insist that citizens guarantee that they drink drinking water, especially on excursions and picnics, and that they maintain the cold chain during after-dinner meals and trips to the beach and mountains to spend the day.
