There are many cases of bacterial food poisoning during hot and humid summer.  To prevent the outbreak of food poisoning, pay particular attention to the following and be very careful.

1. Purchase of food

• When buying perishable foods such as meat, fish and vegetables, always buy fresh products
• When shopping, take the frozen, refrigerated or temperature-sensitive foods last. After shopping, return home as quickly as possible.

2. Storage and food preparation

< So as to not get contaminated with bacteria>

• Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw products.
• Place fish and meat in a plastic bag or other container and store them in the refrigerator without the meat juice coming into contact with other foods.
• Use different utensils for each food when cooking meat, fish and vegetables.
• Prevent meat juice from coming into contact with salads, fruits and other foods that will be eaten raw.

< So as to not increase the growth of bacteria>

• Store food that needs to be frozen or refrigerated as soon as you return from shopping.
• Do not overfill the refrigerator and freezer, and try to use up to 70% of it’s capacity.

3. When cooking food

<To kill bacteria>

• When heating food, make sure the heat was distributed well.

*Reheating food well can kill intoxicating bacteria.  It is recommended to heat the center to 75°C for more than 1 minute.  Do not eat raw or rare meats.  Cook the meat well, and wash utensils that handled raw food.

4. Handling food after cooking

<So as to not increase the growth of bacteria>>

• Do not leave food at room temperature for a long time

*Escherichia coli (0157) doubles in quantity in 15 to 20 minutes even at room temperature.  Especially in summer, be careful not to carry lunch boxes or leave them outside.

• To prevent bacterial growth, store hot dishes at over 65°C, and cold dishes at less than 10°C.

Contact

Mie-ken Iryo Hoken-bu Shokuhin Anzen-ka (三重県　医療保健部　食品安全課)

TEL: 059-224-2343 (in Japanese only)