Why is refrigerated food still at risk of poisoning?

Experts from the Department of Food Safety ( Ministry of Health ) noted that to ensure food safety, it is not only necessary to comply with regulations on quality and origin of raw materials used in food processing, but also to ensure food safety and hygiene conditions throughout the processing, distribution, packaging and storage conditions.

The refrigerator environment does not kill bacteria and bacterial toxins if the food is contaminated.

According to the Food Safety Department, in families, storing food in the refrigerator is common. However, many people still mistakenly believe that the refrigerator is a place where bacteria cannot grow and develop. In fact, food put in the refrigerator if not properly stored and stored for an unreasonable time can still cause digestive diseases, even food poisoning when taking food out of the refrigerator to eat.

In the refrigerator, even in the freezer, bacteria do not die but only slow down or stop growing, and their toxins are not destroyed. They only temporarily "sleep", waiting until they are taken out of the refrigerator, encounter normal temperature conditions in the house or the temperature of the human body, then they will wake up again, grow and function normally immediately.

Therefore, if the food has problems before being put into the refrigerator (pre-cooked food is contaminated with bacteria, meat, fish, eggs... are not really fresh, milk has harmful bacteria...) then the temperature of the refrigerator cannot kill the bacteria and their toxins present in the food. Therefore, when we eat this food, there is a risk of poisoning.

To minimize the risk of spoilage, food should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of at least 2 degrees Celsius or lower, to avoid bacterial growth. If the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment shows higher than 2.5 degrees Celsius, adjust the refrigerator cooling control accordingly.

Sometimes the refrigerator temperature is still accurate but feels hotter than normal, because there is too much food in the refrigerator or hot food is stored or the refrigerator is opened for too long. Therefore, you should use a refrigerator thermometer, place it in the warmest part of the refrigerator, check the air temperature after 24 hours to assess whether the food has been stored at the required temperature.

Summer and autumn are the seasons of gastrointestinal diseases. Meanwhile, bacteria such as cholera, bacillary dysentery, typhoid causing food poisoning... are all cold-resistant.

The Food Safety Department noted that at temperatures as cold as -18 degrees Celsius, typhoid bacteria can still survive for 6 months, and staphylococcus aureus can survive for 5 months. At temperatures as cold as -6 degrees Celsius, after 90 days, cholera, typhoid, dysentery, staphylococcus aureus, coli bacteria... continue to exist.

However, most food poisoning bacteria can be effectively controlled by heat treatment and avoiding cross-contamination, and by practicing good hygiene. Boiling food before eating is the best method, but it is necessary to ensure that the inside of the food is thoroughly cooked, especially with frozen foods.

Note on safe food storage

According to the Poison Control Center (Bach Mai Hospital), foods that are susceptible to spoilage should be refrigerated or frozen immediately under normal conditions. However, remember that cold storage temperatures can only slow the growth of pathogenic bacteria; freezing temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius can stop the growth of bacteria, but the bacteria will not die.

Foods to be frozen should be tightly wrapped, and leftovers should be kept in sealed containers; cooked foods and raw foods and vegetables should be stored separately.

Do not put too much food in the refrigerator as this will cause poor air circulation in the refrigerator, reducing the preservation effect of the refrigerator; if food is suspected of being spoiled, it should be discarded.

Dairy products should be stored in sealed containers to avoid contamination from other foods.

Always check food labels to ensure proper storage instructions are followed.

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