The common meal can easily lead to some uncomfortable health issues if people are not fully aware of these dos and don’ts
A BBC doctor has issued a health alert to anyone cooking this summer to watch out for something ‘really common’ that could result in serious sickness. Speaking on BBC’s Morning Live, Dr Punam Krishan shared some tips to make sure people are able to avoid food poisoning this season. It often spikes in the summer due to the warmer weather conditions, making it much easier for bacteria to spread.
She said: “In warmer weather, bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli tend to multiply much faster, so it’s really important to store [and cook] your food properly.” The practising GP said that the simplest defence is knowing how the use your fridge, so Dr Punam provided a list of tips to keep your food safe, including:
- Keep your fridge set to between 0C and 5C: Some fridges have built-in thermometers, but you can buy and fit a separate one
- Don’t overfill your fridge: It leaves little to no space for cold air to move about.
- Get food into the fridge as soon as possible: Avoid leaving your groceries in the car for long periods between shopping.
Dr Punam issued some advice to anyone who eats chicken, turkey and duck. She said: “Raw poultry has a lot of bacteria, like salmonella and Campylobacter, that sit on the surface of your poultry. If it’s not cooked properly, you can get really unwell.”
Leftovers might pile up if you cook for a crowd but don’t have room for them on your plate. But even if you avoid all the food poisoning pitfalls, your leftovers might offer bacteria a second chance to infect.
Dr Punam stressed the importance of letting cooked food cool completely before storing it in the fridge. If you know you won’t eat the dish within the next couple of days, freeze it instead.
She also warned that defrosting anything frozen could also lead to food poisoning and said the best thing to do is to transfer items from the freezer into the fridge to thaw gradually and safely. She said: “It might all sound like common sense, but [food poisoning] is one of the common culprits for why so many people get diarrhoea and vomiting.”
What are the signs of food poisoning?
According to the NHS, food poisoning symptoms usually start within a few hours or a few days of eating food that caused the infection. Sometimes symptoms do not start for a few weeks – which could make it hard to pinpoint the meal that caused the issue – but this kind of delayed reaction is very rare.
You can typically spot the signs of food poisoning in yourself or others by checking for the following red flags:
- feeling sick or being sick
- diarrhoea
- tummy pain
- a high temperature
- feeling generally unwell
How to treat food poisoning?
Any type of food can cause this poisoning, although it is rarely serious and usually gets better within a week. However, battling through the symptoms can be quite uncomfortable.
You can normally treat yourself at home. The NHS says that “the most important thing is to have lots of fluids to avoid dehydration”.
Speak to a pharmacist if you have signs of dehydration (such as dark, smelly urine or peeing less than usual). People who are older, have a weakened immune system, or have other health conditions that increase their risk of dehydration should also get additional help from a pharmacist, who may recommend some oral rehydration powder that you mix with water to make a drink.
The experts add that people should try to eat when they feel able to, and it may help to avoid foods that are fatty or spicy. Taking paracetamol if you’re in discomfort should also help.