Saturday, March 04, 2006
How safe is your food?
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Health 101
IT all started when Anna bought several kilos of pork meat and innards at a public market. But after cooking them, she smelled something rotten. She decided to return the meat. But not the innards, which she cooked.
When her husband, Julius, ate it, he vomited. Several minutes' later, other members of the family complained of abdominal pain and dizziness. Anna asked help from her neighbors, who brought the family to the nearby hospital. Unfortunately, the youngest son did not make it. He died on the way. The cause of the family's doom: food poisoning.
Food poisoning may be the result of eating food or drinking water that's been contaminated with infectious bacteria. Some bacteria work by secreting toxins that affect the whole body, including the digestive tract. Others work by directly attacking the lining of the intestines.
"Like terrorists, deadly bacteria and toxins are lying in wait to strike you. Brought by your favorite waiter or sold at your local carinderia, these invisible microbes may be hiding in your favorite buko salad, pancit canton or cassava cake. Food poisoning could hurt, maim, even kill," says Dr. Willie T. Ong, chair of the Department of Medicine at Our Lady of Peace Hospital.
One of the most dangerous food-borne bacteria is Escherichia coli, whose toxins damage the lining of the large intestine. If they are absorbed into the bloodstream, they can also affect other organs. "It's one of the leading causes of kidney failure in kids," says Dr. David Swerdlow, an American epidemiologist working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Salmonella is among the most common causes of food poisoning, particularly in developing countries. Salmonella bacteria are most often found in raw meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk products. "Once a food is contaminated, bacteria may grow at an alarming rate," the encyclopedia states.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ong offers 10 tips to avoid becoming a victim of food poisoning:
1. Avoid or limit eating mayonnaise- and milk-based foods. Especially during hot weather, the first food to get spoiled is those aforementioned foods. If you can't avoid the temptation, just take in a small scoop so that in case it's bacteria-infested, you'll still survive to tell the tale.
2. Use your senses. First, the nose knows. If the food smells funny, fishy or foul, don't eat it. Second, use your taste buds. If the seafood pancit canton tastes like an eight-legged vermin, spit it out. Cockroaches have a way of getting themselves into cooked food. Third, seeing is believing. Look inside vegetable leaves and overripe mangoes for those white, crawly maggots. And make sure that dark spot on the meat is black pepper, not vermin eggs.
3. Avoid poorly cooked meat. Some people feel sophisticated when they order a rare steak. But there's nothing special in having tapeworms living in your gut similar to that in "Aliens." And despite what others say, the parasites in the "kilawin" or "sushi" cannot be killed by vinegar or "wasabe." So the next time you order your steak, have it "well done."
4. Choose very hot items over cold food. Studies show that the Chinese have fewer incidences of stomach disorders compared to the Japanese. Experts think this is because the Chinese like their tea, rice and food piping hot, unlike the Japanese with their cold "sushi" and "sashimi." Hot chicken soup warms the stomach but reheated food is a no-no.
5. Choose dry over wet food. Wet food items spoil faster than dry ones. Limit eating sauces, like "bagoong," gravy and taco sauce. Fried chicken, fried pork chop and grilled fish take a long time to spoil. These are the perfect items to bring to your summer outings. Food items with milky sauces and exposed to the hot weather rot quickly.
6. Only bottled or canned drinks, please. Tap water is dangerous. Leaky Tondo water pipes gave rise to the cholera outbreak in 2003, killing eight people. To be safe, use bottled, boiled or distilled drinks only, like bottled water or canned soft drinks. And since ice is made from tap water, use a straw or drink straight from the can instead. For sago and "gulaman" lovers, check if distilled or tap water is used.
7. Avoid or limit street food. Some bad news for "kwek-kwek," fish balls and "dirty" ice cream fanatics. They are called "dirty" for a reason. The sauces are a haven for bacteria: the mouth-watering "bagoong" for the green mango and the recycled fish ball sauce where everybody dips in delight. Ideally, food handlers must pass stringent tests of their blood, urine and stools, but who would shoulder the additional cost? Thus, choose where and whom you buy your food from. And unless it's a hotel, a well-known fast food chain, or a respected restaurant, be forewarned.
8. Eat home-cooked meals. Mother or wife knows best. Eating at home is safest if you take a few precautions. Like refrigerating leftover meals as soon as possible and discarding them in a few days. "Finally, remember the basic rule: wash your hands before and after eating," Dr. Ong advises. "So eat safe, eat smart and avoid food poisoning. Clean food items may cost a bit more, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (March 4, 2006 issue)
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