Thousands of annual reports of gastrointestinal symptoms originate from poor handling of food, and the kitchen is the place where we store food and where most accidents are produced. If the foodstuffs are not properly stored, they can easily become infected with pathogenic microorganisms, i.e. bacteria and fungi.
Bacteria and fungus spores are everywhere. They are present in the air, in dust, in microscopic droplets from coughs and sneezes, and on our hands which also means that they are present on the things we touch. Door handles, railings in busses and banisters in staircases where a lot of people place their hands are normal ways of transmission of bacteria from one person to another.
Make a habit of washing your hands the moment you get home and, of course, before starting to cook. Remember that toilet soap can also be filled with bacteria. It is a good idea to use containers with liquid soap.
Refrigerators which are not regularly cleaned can develop into a true El Dorado for pathogenic bacteria and fungi. As far as bacteria are concerned, streptococci could be one of the candidates. Some of them are harmless, others are pathogenic. They are comfortable in spots of milk, for example. They also easily become resistant to penicillin.
Also make a habit of looking over the contents of your fridge and remove things that have surpassed their use-by date or in other ways look suspicious. Afterwards you should wipe the shelf with a wet, soaped cloth. Clean your entire fridge with water and soap once a month.
Meat bacteria usually require the presence of a great many bacteria before they become pathogenic. It also takes quite a long time and storage at too high temperature in order for meat poisoning to occur and is therefore a clear indication of sloppiness.
Earth from vegetables typically contains lots of bacteria and fungi. Together with fruit, fluid, leftover meat, or other things, the bottom of the fridge can propagate lots of harmful microorganisms.
Make a habit of checking the temperature of your fridge. Bacteria generally have difficulties
propagating at temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit).
Another well-known type of bacterium that easily develops resistance to penicillin is the coli bacterium that is normally present in our colon. If this bacterium is present in food or drinks, it is a sign of poor hygiene, poor handling of foodstuffs, and possibly insufficiently heating of the food.
The reason why we get ill from certain bacteria is that they produce toxins. Even though the bacteria are killed when heated to 70 - 80 degrees Celsius (158 - 176 degrees Fahrenheit), we can still get ill from the toxins they have already produced.
It should not be necessary to mention this: Make a habit of washing your hands after going to the lavatory - every time! Be aware that you will usually touch the handle of the toilet door after having washed your hands and thereby risk exposing yourself to infection.
Everybody probably knows of food that has suddenly become "hairy". This phenomenon is caused by mould fungi or mildew. Not all mould fungi are toxic. The harmless ones are used in moulded cheese for example. However, some species are harmful. It is a good idea to throw away foodstuffs with mildew growing on them.
If you are unlucky enough to eat too many pathogenic bacteria or fungi, you will most likely feel sick and vomit (perhaps also experience diarrhoea) within a few hours. Particularly pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella penetrate the intestinal lymph nodes and propagate after which they enter the bloodstream where they liberate toxins. Salmonella can typically be found in eggs and poultry. Vegetables that have been fertilized with farmyard manure can also be infected with salmonella.
Therefore, you should make a habit of thoroughly rinsing and cleaning fruit and vegetables before eating them. Eggs can be scalded before use but as salmonella can also be present on the inside of the egg, it is safer to buy pasteurized eggs for raw dishes. Make sure that poultry is heated to a minimum of 75 degrees Celsius (167 degrees Fahrenheit) in the middle.
Finally, a small piece of advice: Make sure to maintain your beneficial, intestinal, natural bacterial flora. Your intestines should actually contain about 1 kg. (2.2 lbs) of several hundred different kinds of bacteria. A healthy intestinal bacterial flora can counteract most symptoms from a mild case of food poisoning.
You can build a healthy intestinal flora by eating healthily according to the guidelines we have outlined in our disease-preventive basic plan - "General Advice - for healthy as well as for ill ones". Here, it is also recommended to take a lactic acid supplement from time to time.
