Well, I would have liked to tell you that I only met Salmonella and her friends through textbooks, but, surprise!!, I also saw the effects of it irl. In real life. And, dear girls and boys, it doesn’t look, it doesn’t smell, it doesn’t taste (ok, maybe in some cases, of super spoiled food, but then the consumer should be able to identify it and not consume it), but it has incredibly fast results. And it’s unpleasant to end up from the ball, at the hospital, especially now that the infectious disease wards are occupied by covid. 🙂
Food poisoning can be from raw foods of animal origin (meat, eggs, milk, seafood) and even from fruits and vegetables (you may have seen the news with contaminated salad). Poor hygiene in the kitchen, even personal hygiene, can contaminate utensils and food.
Salmonella is related to E.coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, etc. and fortunately still reacts to antibiotics. Manifestations appear after approx. 12 hours up and may be diarrhea, fever, vomiting, stomach pain.
How do we prevent it? Personal, utensil and kitchen hygiene – you know, at least hot soapy water/ detergent. 🙂 We use separate meat and vegetable choppers or, if we use the same chopper, we wash them well between uses. We store raw meat and eggs on separate shelves in the refrigerator as to vegetables and fruits. We do not consume cans and jars with swollen lids. We do not cook altered or out-of-warranty products. We don’t taste directly from the pot if we cook for other people, we don’t put our finger/ hand in the pot!!! Good practice means to take out a small amount, separately, on a plate and taste it with a spoon/ other utensils, which are then washed; if it is necessary to taste one more time, we repeat the process with a new spoon. 🙂
First aid in this case means fluids and electrolytes, to help the person not to dehydrate and call the doctor, who will tell you if there is a case for medical treatment and/ or hospitalization.
Discussion of the warranty period: if we cook for friends and/ or family, it is preferable not to risk with products out of the warranty period. If we cook for ourselves, well, here is a whole discussion at the moment about the fact that humanity throws away tons of food that is ok, although out of date. Adherents of this movement propose to use our physical and critical senses and to evaluate food: if it looks organoleptic normally, then it is edible. Until proven otherwise. But the easiest, safest and healthiest way is to plan your shopping and cooking so that you do not run out of warranty or throw them away.
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As a general idea, at least once in your life you should take a practical first aid course at the Red Cross or elsewhere (ask beforehand if the course is only theoretical or has a practical part). Also, you should have a mini first aid kit on hand – you never know when you’ll need it. 🙂
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Bibliography: European First Aid Manual, 2006; International First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines, IFRC, 2016.
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Learn first aid to have time for real kitchen disasters. 🙂 See destroyed recipes here. 🙂 If you are passionate about reading, join the #cookingbookclub here. 🙂 If you try the recipe, don’t forget to post pictures on our facebook page.