삼성서울병원

Many people spend their summer holidays on the beach. There, many eat raw fish slices. But do you know it is one the biggest potential causes of food poisoning in summer? Vibrio parahaemolyticus lives in seawater and can contaminate fish. It usually stays at the bottom of the sea in winter and floats up in summer, contaminating fish and shellfish. If you eat contaminated seafood raw, you can be infected with V. parahaemolyticus. As cross-contamination can happen from knives, cutting boards, and human hands used to prepare the seafood, practicing proper food hygiene is essential.

Just like raw fish, shellfish is potentially dangerous food in summer. Shellfish poisoning can be caused by V. parahaemolyticus or toxins from the shellfish themselves. However, shellfish poisoning in summer is mostly caused by V. parahaemolyticus, and it happens sometimes because shellfish spoil very quickly in hot and wet weather. So, make sure to cook shellfish in summer at 60℃ at least for five minutes or 55℃ at least for ten minutes.

While the most common cause of food poisoning in summer is seafood, it can be also caused by milk and processed food such as ham, cheese, and sausages. In this case, the culprits behind it are Clostridium botulinum and E. coli.

Clostridium botulinum grows in the absence of oxygen, so they can exist in low-oxygen processed meat and food like canned food and sausages. They produce dangerous neurotoxins, so you should be careful. E. coli are found in stool and commonly exist in the small intestine. They even survive refrigerator and freezer temperatures.

To avoid poisoning from processed food, it is important to sterilize and cook food thoroughly. C. botulinum’s toxins can be fully destroyed when heated to 80℃ for 30 minutes or 100℃ for two to three minutes. E. coli are also vulnerable to heat. So, make sure cook any processed food you suspect contaminated to an internal temperature of 75℃ at least for a minute.

Always wash your hands after using the bathroom, touching a pet, or touching or scratching your body. Especially, before and after cooking and before meals, lather your hands, arms, between your fingers, and even under your finger nails with soap.

Avoid eating raw fish and shellfish in summer. If you choose to eat seafood, make sure to wash them several times with clean water and cook them at 74℃ at least for more than a minute. Since water can be contaminated in summer, don’t forget to boil water before drinking.

To prevent cross-contamination, use separate knives and chopping boards for seafood and other food and make sure to sterilize them after use.

Bacteria that cause food poisoning grow quickly at a room temperature between 10℃ and 40℃. So, do not store food at a room temperature. Keep your food in a fridge or freezer. However, some still survive low temperature. So, avoid leaving leftover.