SINGAPORE: Most people have heard this one: It’s okay to eat food dropped on the floor, so long as you pick it up within five seconds. But with salmonella cases on the rise, better play it safe, said a food safety expert.
“I would say ditch it,” said Ms Bibi Chia, principal dietician with the Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre.
So far this year, more than 1,000 people have been infected by salmonella - a bacteria that causes typhoid fever, food poisoning, gastroenteritis and other illnesses. The number exceeds the 779 cases reported between January and June 20 last year.
The top three causes of salmonella poisoning are raw eggs, poultry and milk; cross contamination of food and improper hand and toilet hygiene.
What can people do to avoid being infected in their own kitchen? Ms Chia helped current affairs programme Talking Point separate the myths from the facts.
MYTH: “So long as you cook eggs, they’re safe to eat.”
FACT: “Uncooked egg parts can contain salmonella. Cook yolks and whites until firm.”
Cook eggs thoroughly, “especially if your immunity is affected or if you are pregnant or elderly,” said Ms Chia. And it’s not just omelettes or fried eggs.
”A lot of times the raw egg that we eat is usually found in chocolate mousses or certain desserts, cream and stuff like that. So in order to rule out food infections from eggs, you have to also check that the eggs in the desserts are thoroughly cooked,” she said.
MYTH: “Washing fish with lemon gets rid of bacteria.”
FACT: “Lemons do not kill all bacteria. Cook all meat thoroughly.”
Relying on lemon – which is used to cure raw fish in certain dishes such as ceviche - to kill bacteria “is not a safe bet,” said Ms Chia.
“In order to make sure that all the bacteria are killed, I would still recommend cooking.”
“At the same time, if you are planning to eat raw fish, do choose a reliable outlet. If you are pregnant, I would suggest you stay away from raw fish,” she added.
MYTH: “It’s good to juice whole, unpeeled fruits and vegetables.”
FACT: “Bacteria can hide out in rough-surfaced fruits and vegetables even after rinsing.”
“I would suggest you wash and peel the fruit, just in case there is cross contamination,” said Ms Chia.
“Make sure your surfaces are clean, the knife is clean, your cutting board is clean.”
MYTH: “Reheating food in the microwave will kill all the bacteria.”
FACT: “Food in the microwave may heat unevenly, leaving cold spots where bacteria can survive.”
“The thing with microwaving is that sometimes, there is uneven heating. So ensure that halfway through, you toss the food about before you pop it back into the microwave,” said Ms Chia. “Ensure that the whole portion comes out piping hot.”
Some people may reduce the reheating time because they think microwaving destroys more nutrients than do traditional cooking methods such as boiling or steaming. “That is not true because they heat up to similar temperatures,” said Ms Chia.
MYTH: “Pouring hot water over cutting boards will kill all the bacteria.”
FACT: “Bacteria can hide and thrive in the scratches of cutting boards.”
Grooves in the cutting boards can harbor bacteria, said Ms Chia. “I would suggest from time to time, do a bit of sanitisation such as soaking the boards and knives in hot water for at least a minute. Rinsing is not enough.”
To make your own disinfectant, mix one portion of bleach to nine parts of water.
Also, colour-coded cutting boards are popular these days. “In fact they have pictures of fish, fruit, meat and vegetables. That helps us to identify which cutting board to use for non-cooked items,” she said.
Ultimately, salmonella outbreaks happen when care is not taken to prevent transmission. Said Dr Amitabh Monga, a specialist in gastroenterology and consultant at Raffles Internal Medicine Centre: “People who have salmonellosis should not prepare food or pour water for others until their diarrhoea has resolved.”
Most people infected develop fever, diarrhoea and abdominal pain within three days. Most patients will recover with fluid hydration without further treatment. But if the salmonella spreads into the blood stream, then antibiotics are needed and "such treatment should be carried out without delay", said Dr Monga.
