According to data from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the first cause of food-borne diseases in Spain is bacteria. According to data from the latest European ONE HEALTH report collected by AESAN, campylobacteriosis has been the most reported gastrointestinal disease in the EU in recent years, affecting more than 220,000 people in 2019, followed by salmonellosis with 88,000.How to avoid them?
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the European Union Agency that has launched the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign – in collaboration with the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency (AESAN) -, which has The aim of this
A foodborne illness is an infection transmitted by ingestion of food containing live pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins – whether they are viruses, parasites or bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria, Shigella, Trichinella, Anisakis and others – in amounts that affect health of the consumer.
In the case of salmonellosis, caused by the Salmonella bacteria and quite common in Europe, most cases present with fever, diarrhea or colic and are mild. However, this bacteria can cause complications and cause death if it spreads through the body through the blood. The bacteria can be found in foods such as meat, eggs, fruit, sprouts, vegetables, and certain processed foods, such as creams, meat derivatives, or certain processed vegetable products. In Spain, where it is a notifiable disease, 8,872 cases of salmonellosis in humans were reported in 2018.
There is a guideline to avoid foodborne illness while cooking or eating certain foods. As the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign explains, the key lies in the correct handling of food.
To do this, the first step is to wash our hands with soap and hot water, before and after touching the food, as well as as many times as necessary (after going to the bathroom, handling raw food, after eating …).
In addition, the surfaces and kitchen utensils that we use must be washed with soap and rinsed with plenty of water, to ensure that no food remains on them.
In the fridge, raw food should be separated from cooked food and the latter, stored in closed containers.
The second step that must be taken into account for proper food handling is to apply a correct heat treatment, especially in the case of products of animal origin, that is: we have to ensure that the temperature reached by the food during its preparation is sufficient to kill microorganisms such as Salmonella.
The AESAN recommends cooking them at least at 70ºC for 2 minutes, so that this temperature is reached throughout the product evenly. After doing so, if they are not going to be consumed immediately, the food should be kept refrigerated.
In the case of eggs, however, washing them is not recommended, as doing so can help transfer dirt and various pathogens, such as Salmonella, from the outside of the shell to the inside of the egg. If you are going to make foods that contain raw eggs, such as mayonnaise, they should be prepared as soon as possible and kept refrigerated at all times. Fried eggs or lightly curdled omelets should be eaten immediately after processing.
In addition to the official controls carried out by the authorities on a routine basis, the European Union continuously participates in different initiatives to protect consumers against the main foodborne diseases, such as salmonellosis. For example, various Salmonella control programs have been launched in poultry, which has managed to greatly reduce the incidence rate in Europe.
On the other hand, in addition to offering advice to avoid food poisoning, the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign, promoted by EFSA and AESAN, offers consumers information on topics such as labeling, food hygiene in production chains, health claims , allergens, additives or the importance of bees for the food chain, among others.
According to EFSA, “food takes many forms (…), but regardless of whether you like it or not and where it comes from, you can trust that it is safe, and that is thanks to science.”
