Throughout your daily live, you would more times than not overlook the unseen dangers that can lurk in something as simple as the food we consume. The presence of bacteria is in all our meals, you can be promoting growth from not storing your food properly, leaving food out to long after it has been cooked, even not taking the time to wash your hands before preparing food. This may not sound like much but if not taken seriously there are potential threats that should not be taken lightly. In this eye-opening exploration, we take a deep dive into the scary truth behind bacteria in food.
Bacterial Growth
There are certain conditions that bacteria thrive in such as warmth, there is a specific temperature it thrives most 5-63 degrees, bacteria thrive on these temperature ranges. Heat from cooking activates those bacterial spores and these spores can multiply in the millions very quickly especially at room temperature when leaving your cooked food to cool, it is recommended if you leave your food out for any second longer then 2 hours throw it away as it has very high chance of causing food poising. There are other factors that play into the growth of bacteria such as moisture, & time, all foods can grow bacteria that is a given, but some foods thrive more under these conditions such as chicken, cooked rice, and cooked pasta.
Best Way to Kill Bacteria & Avoid Food Poising?
To avoid food poisoning especially after you have stored your food for the next day it is essential to reheat your prepared meal, make sure it reaches a temperature of at least (74°C) throughout. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature. If you reheat your food do not leave out and then go to reheat it again, even though the heat kills the bacteria from the steam the toxins within are heat stable and can withstand high levels of heat, so the more times you reheat your meal the more toxins you a releasing for your consumption.
Other Factors to Consider
Proper refrigeration: Place the containers of prepared food in the refrigerator promptly after they have cooled. Keep the temperature of the refrigerator at or below 5ºC (41ºF) to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.
Avoid stacking: While it's not necessary to avoid stacking containers, it can help promote even cooling. If you choose to stack containers, leave sufficient space between them to allow for proper airflow and cooling.
Storage duration: Consume the refrigerated food within 3–4 days to minimize the risk of foodborne illness. After this time, the quality and safety of the prepared food may decline. If you know that you will not get to this food within the 3-4 days you need to consider freezing it instead, because of the extreme cool temperature it prevents the bacterial growth process.
The presence of bacteria in our food is a constant reality, and its growth can pose serious health risks if not handled properly. Bacteria thrive in specific conditions, such as temperatures between 5-63 degrees Celsius, and factors like warmth, moisture, and time can accelerate their multiplication.
To find out more contact industry leader Adam Harford from Harford Health & Fitness (click here) about lasting solutions so you do not fall victim to this.
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