Main precautions for food consumption during the holiday season

Do you have a camping trip or day trip planned? It is always a matter of what to bring to eat and in what quantities. Dr. Aníbal Concha Meyer, an academic from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the Austral University of Chile (UACh), recalls that, in the summer season, being careful with high temperatures and the shelf life of food is key.

A good option that the academic recommends is to prefer canned foods; also consider the perishability of these, which is the time it takes to begin to degrade. “There are foods that have a shorter shelf life and stability at high temperatures,” explains Dr. Concha Meyer.

“Canned foods are a good option, because they have a longer useful life; we can avoid the cold chain. On vacation, it is also common to prepare roasts, in this case, always prefer packaged meat over sliced ​​meat, especially when many hours will pass from the purchase to the consumption of it”, details the academic and professor of the UACh Food Engineering degree.

Among the options, to keep food in good condition is to use a cooler, cold packs and that insulate heat; It is also important to order food well, to avoid cross contamination. In the case that fish or shellfish are consumed, always take them frozen with good insulation, but the ideal is to consume these canned products.

“In general, in the field of the market and the investigations of ready-to-eat foods, they are very convenient. We see ready, pre-washed vegetables that just come in a bag, which are pretty good. Also prefer vacuum-sealed containers with modified atmospheres that help food keep longer. In addition to well-sealed packaged meats, which extends the shelf life. Meat without this will not be preserving the quality that we are going to be wanting”, comments Aníbal Concha, who is also the president of the Board of Directors of the UACh Pilot Food Plant.

risks

Foodborne Diseases (ETA) are a major health problem worldwide. “ETAS are caused by the consumption of water or food contaminated with microorganisms or parasites, or by the toxic substances that they produce,” details the professor from the Institute of Food Science and Technology (ICYTAL).

Last but not least, explains Dr. Concha, handling food is very relevant to avoid major problems, such as Escherichia coli It causes urinary tract infections and diarrhoea. Problems caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

“The important thing about these dates is to plan, organize well, consider the amounts of food, sometimes a lot is bought and we end up with excess stock, which causes the loss of food and its waste. Super important is to control the garbage, people tend to throw garbage in places where it does not belong, that they carry bags, garbage cans, to be able to remove their own garbage, and thus also not encourage the usual pests in open spaces ”, concludes Dr. Hannibal Concha.