A well-organized fridge and properly cooled food are key to avoiding foodborne illnesses during the holidays.
Yes, we eat a lot during the holidays. Maybe a little too much, to the point that when someone complains about a stomachache, it’s often ignored and attributed to overeating: “Too many sweets!” In most cases, that’s true. But it could also be a foodborne illness. During this season, we often “forget” some basic food handling rules.
One of the first mistakes is overfilling the fridge. We pack it to the top! Open the door and a yogurt might fall on you.
But a packed fridge doesn’t work properly: cold air cannot circulate between items to cool them and keep them at the correct temperature: 0ºC to 4ºC. This allows microorganisms to thrive and multiply.
Another issue is that everyone wants to eat a lot and well, but nobody wants to spend Christmas morning in the kitchen. That’s why many dishes are prepared in advance for Christmas or Boxing Day. To prevent microorganism growth:
- Cool the preparations properly. Foods should not remain at room temperature for more than 2 hours before being placed in the fridge. For example, reduce the temperature of chicken from 80ºC to 8ºC within two hours.
- When it’s time to eat, heat the food to at least 65ºC in the center to kill microorganisms.
The same applies after serving: leftovers are often left on the table for too long before cooling and storing in the fridge.
So, the stomachache is probably from overeating, but it’s better to prevent it from being caused by poor food handling, right?
