Why eating bread has the risk of poisoning, how to prevent it?

Bread is a popular food, consumed daily. However, this dish can easily become a source of food poisoning if processed, preserved or used incorrectly.

Recently, there have been many cases of food poisoning, including bread poisoning. The cause is mostly due to contaminated food, improper preservation or unhygienic processing, showing that food safety is always a challenging and worrying issue.

Bacteria levels skyrocket when meatloaf is left out in the open

Master - Doctor Vo Thi To Hi, Head of Nutrition Department, Gia An 115 Hospital (HCMC) said that the inside of bread is an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow, especially pate, cold cuts, eggs, mayonnaise, raw vegetables...

“Common bacteria in bread poisoning include Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens. When food is left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, especially in hot and humid weather, the number of bacteria can increase hundreds of times. Pate bread is the dish with the highest risk, because pate from animal liver is very nutritious, easily spoiled and if not properly sterilized can be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum bacteria that produce botulinum toxin - a very strong neurotoxin that causes muscle paralysis and respiratory failure,” said Dr. To Hi.

In addition, according to Dr. To Hi, buying bread from street vendors and small, unsanitary establishments also contributes to increasing the risk of bread poisoning in consumers.

Pate bread contains animal liver, which is easily spoiled and creates conditions for bacteria to grow if not properly sterilized.

Photo: AI

Who is at risk for severe effects from bread poisoning?

People with weakened immune systems such as young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic underlying medical conditions (diabetes, liver, kidney or gastrointestinal disease) are more susceptible to severe effects from food poisoning, including bread poisoning.

Doctor To Hi said that in the above mentioned groups of people, the ability to resist intestinal bacteria and the speed of eliminating toxins is slower, making it easier for bacteria and toxins to enter the blood, causing systemic infections, even meningitis or multiple organ failure if not treated promptly.

In addition, people who have the habit of eating bread of unknown origin, eating bread that has been left for a long time, bread with pate filling or cold meat stored at room temperature for many hours, are also at higher risk because pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella or Clostridium botulinum can easily develop in these conditions.

What should be done to limit the risk of poisoning when eating bread?

From there, Dr. To Hi advises that to limit the risk of poisoning when eating bread, it is necessary to pay attention to the following food safety principles:

Choose a reputable place : You should buy bread at stores or bakeries with clear origins, ensuring hygienic conditions in processing and preservation.

Sensory inspection : If bread, pate, cold cuts or shredded pork have a strange smell, are sour, have an unusual taste or change color, absolutely do not use it.

Bread should be eaten within 2-3 hours of preparation : If left at room temperature for too long, especially in hot weather, food can easily become contaminated with bacteria and produce toxins.

Do not eat bread overnight or reheat it : Reheating only kills some of the bacteria, but does not remove the toxins that have already formed in the food.

Proper storage : If you need to keep it, separate the filling and cake, store in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours.

It is worth noting that young children, pregnant women, the elderly or people with chronic diseases (diabetes, liver disease, immunodeficiency...) should limit eating cold sandwiches or pate to reduce the risk of poisoning.

“No food is completely safe if it is not properly preserved and processed. Carefully selecting the source of food and following the principle of eating cooked food and drinking boiled water is still the simplest way to prevent food poisoning and protect the health of yourself and your family,” Dr. To Hi emphasized.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tai-sao-an-banh-mi-lai-gay-ngo-doc-185251111155809995.htm