| Food Safety: The Hazards of Native Cooking |
| 19 September 2006 | Posted in Features by FB World Staff |
Beware of native methods of food preparation which can sometimes lead to greater risk of foodborne illness. Article by Rommel Gerodias |
The Philippines boasts much ethnic and cultural diversity, including its food. Whether for almusal (breakfast), tanghalian (lunch), hapunan (dinner) or merienda (snacks), we enjoy a wide variety of dishes that comprise our native cuisine. |
| Rice products are the major component of many Philippine dishes, from entrées to snacks. Most of these are made of rice or a combination of rice and other ingredients. Another major component of Philippine cuisine is gatâ or coconut milk, a very popular ingredient in main dishes, snacks and desserts. With rice and coconut milk as major elements of Philippine cuisine, let us talk food safety when handling these food items. |
| Bacillus Cereus is the foodborne pathogen most associated with rice, rice products and cereals. Toxins produced by the Bacillus Cereus bacteria can lead to gastrointestinal intoxication or food poisoning. There are two types of toxins — the Diarrhoeal (causing diarrhoea) and the Emetic (causing vomiting). Bacillus Cereus exists in normal bacterial and spore forms in foods. The normal form is inactivated by cooking, but most illness is a result of the multiplication of spores during inadequate refrigeration of moist cooked protein foods and rice. Cooking often kills competing bacteria while heat activates the Bacillus Cereus spores. Therefore, storing large masses of cooked food between 5º C and 57º C can allow the bacteria to multiply. |
| Food poisoning caused by Bacillus Cereus may occur when foods are prepared and held without adequate refrigeration for several hours before serving. B. Cereus is an aerobic spore-forming bacterium that is commonly found in soil, on vegetables, and in many raw and processed foods. Consumption of foods that contain >106 B. Cereus /gram may result in food poisoning. Foods incriminated in past outbreaks include cooked meat and vegetables, boiled or fried rice, vanilla sauce, custards, soups and raw vegetable sprouts. |
| Two types of illness have been attributed to the consumption of foods contaminated with B. Cereus. The first and better known is characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhea. It has an incubation period of 4-16 hours and symptoms that last for 12-24 hours. The second, characterized by an acute attack of nausea and vomiting, occurs within 1-5 hours after consumption of contaminated food. Diarrhea is not a common feature in this type of illness. |
| More often than not, native foods are prepared and served under room temperatures. It is recommended that, after cooking rice products like suman, kakanin, bibingka, puto bumbong, etc. (or any food for that matter), have it prepared right away while it is hot. As soon as the internal food temperature drops below 57º C, make sure that the food is either reheated to 74º C or refrigerated to reach a temperature of 5º C within four (4) hours. Exposure of the food (especially if it is mixed with coconut milk, meat and other protein-rich items) to temperatures between 5-57º C for more than four hours may pose a hazard to the consumer. Between these temperatures, B. Cereus and other microorganisms may be developing already in the food. |
| Always wash, rinse and sanitize the utensils being used in the preparation of kakanin (rice-based delicacies). If the food is to be wrapped in leaves ( e.g. coconut leaves, banana leaves), be sure to wash, rinse and sanitize the leaves before food contact. Any microorganism left in the leaves may be able to survive and eventually get into the food. This is a must for binalot where the leaves are used as packaging material for the ready-to-eat food and will no longer be cooked further. |
| It is also important to note that food handlers preparing this type of food must observe proper personal hygiene. Adequate hand washing (20 seconds or more) should be done, since most foodborne pathogens come from the hands of food handlers. |
| Although one may think that old practices in the preparation of native foods have not affected the health of many people (as we may think), it is not far-fetched to say that most of the diarrhoeal and vomiting cases that occur after a barrio wedding, fiesta or any local celebration are caused by the improper handling of food during preparation and serving. |
| Again and again, always keep hot foods hot and cold food cold. Bibingka, ginataan, puto, kutsinta, halayang ube and other local native foods are not exempted from this rule. Be safe! |
|
