“Nice gift giving” after Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Anyone who constantly has to go to the throne on these holidays should rethink their food traditions!
I consume some information with a slight shake of the head, others with laughter. And then there are those where I don't know what to say. But maybe it will help some people if they spend Christmas and New Year's Eve in the house again without knowing why that is.
The consumer advice center writes that raclette and fondue are extremely popular, especially during the Christmas season and at the turn of the year. No wonder, the dishes have a tradition. They can be prepared and prepared stress-free, have something to offer for every taste and guarantee a culinary get-together with loved ones. But the pleasure can be short-lived.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there are annual, illness-related increases in Campylobacter infections after the holidays. The scientists noticed the increased number of cases after analyzing surveillance data from the winter months; experience shows that most infections occur in summer. The study showed that people who ate raclette or fondue on Christmas and New Year's Eve were more likely to develop Campylobacter infections afterwards. The connection became particularly clear when chicken meat was consumed.
Get through Christmas and New Year's Eve without a stomachache!
Illnesses due to Campylobacter are the most common food-borne infections in Germany and the EU. In 2020 alone, 45,000 cases were documented nationwide, three times more than were caused by salmonella. The chicken meat samples examined in Saxony-Anhalt in 2019 (report for 2020 is not yet available) were also 47% contaminated with Campylobacter strains.
The bacteria are widespread in the environment as well as in domestic and farm animals and mainly enter the food chain during milking and slaughter. Meat and raw milk are particularly often contaminated. Even low numbers of germs can be enough to cause intestinal infections after 2 to a maximum of 10 days, typically with abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever. Children under 5 years of age and young adults between 20 and 29 are statistically most commonly affected.
“In order to avoid a rude awakening in the New Year, careful kitchen hygiene must be observed, especially when preparing raw, perishable foods, including at the dining table,”
says head of department Christa Bergmann from the Saxony-Anhalt consumer advice center. “Fresh meat should be stored separately from other foods and heated through completely. This is the only way to ensure that no pathogens are transmitted.”
The greatest danger when preparing food (not just at Christmas and New Year's Eve) is the spread of germs between different foods - a so-called cross-contamination. Bacteria pass directly from one food to another when they come into contact. But indirect transmission through kitchen utensils such as knives, cutting mats and other devices is also possible. For example, pathogens from raw meat can be transferred to foods that have already been cooked in fondue or ready-made salads if cutlery and dishes for raw and cooked food are used at the same time. And raw meat is often touched with bare fingers, especially in social gatherings. This increases the risk of germs from meat getting onto hands and other foods, which can ultimately lead to infections among consumers.
Here consumers can find further information from consumer advice centers on general kitchen hygiene and specifically on the topic of cross-contamination and chicken meat videos from the RKI.
What you should definitely pay attention to when it comes to kitchen hygiene:
- Heat the core of food to at least 70°C for two minutes
- Separation of raw meat, especially poultry and foods that are consumed without heating
- Consistently clean hands, kitchen utensils and surfaces after contact with raw foods
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )