‘Fall food poisoning’ occurs if boiled food is kept at room temperature for a long time. < Life < Article text

A warning has been issued that food poisoning can occur even if food is sufficiently boiled.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Minister Oh Yoo-kyung) announced that food poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens (hereinafter referred to as perfringens) can occur if even sufficiently boiled and cooked food is stored at room temperature for a long time, so cooking and food storage methods must be observed.

Perfringens is an anaerobic bacterium that grows well in oxygen-free conditions and at 43-47°C and is widely distributed in natural environments such as soil and rivers, intestines of humans and animals, feces, and food.

Perfringens bacteria have the characteristic of surviving in a dormant state by creating heat-resistant spores when growth conditions worsen due to heating, etc., so unlike other food poisoning bacteria, there is a possibility that they can proliferate again in boiled food.

In particular, it proliferates well in an environment rich in amino acids, so there is a risk of food poisoning caused by perfringens bacteria if meat dishes such as bulgogi are cooked in large quantities and stored at room temperature.

There have been a total of 62 cases of perfringens food poisoning that have occurred over the past five years (2019 – 2023). By season, the most cases of perfringens food poisoning occurred in fall with 21 cases, followed by spring, winter, and summer.

The place where perfringens food poisoning occurred the most was restaurants (33 cases), followed by group cafeterias, outdoor activities, and event locations, and it was found to be mainly caused by consuming meat-cooked foods such as chicken and pork.

In order to prevent perfringens food poisoning in restaurants or public catering facilities, when cooking large quantities of meat, etc., it must be sufficiently heated to a core temperature of 75°C for at least 1 minute before serving immediately. If it must be stored and served, divide it into several containers. It should be refrigerated below 5℃.

In addition, it is advisable to consume cooked food within 2 hours if possible, and when consuming stored food again, it is advisable to reheat it to 75°C or higher before consuming it.

In addition, the risk of food poisoning increases if gimbap or sandwiches, which are frequently consumed during outdoor activities in the fall, are stored in a vehicle exposed to the sun or in the trunk, so it is recommended to store and transport them at temperatures below 10°C using an icebox, etc.

An official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said, “To prevent food poisoning, you must thoroughly maintain personal hygiene, such as washing your hands, even at home.” He added, “Use cooking utensils such as knives and cutting boards separately by food ingredient such as meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit to prevent cross-contamination. “It is important to follow food poisoning prevention rules,” he said.