If you think that it is enough to smell things to know if they are bad, you suck the head of the prawns because that is where all the substance is and you are convinced that all the additives are bad and the transgenics even more, this interests you. From the book Eat Safe Eating Everything , by food technologist and dietitian-nutritionist Beatriz Robles, we have compiled some of the most common mistakes we make with food. Take note.
If you think that it is enough to smell things to know if they are bad, you suck the head of the prawns because that is where all the substance is and you are convinced that all the additives are bad and the transgenics even more, this interests you. From the book Eat Safe Eating Everything , by food technologist and dietitian-nutritionist Beatriz Robles, we have compiled some of the most common mistakes we make with food. Take note.
Smell the food to see if it is in good condition
Smell the food to see if it is in good condition
"It doesn't work. And you can't trust the taste or appearance either: there are foods that are apparently in perfect condition, but they may contain pathogenic microorganisms or toxins," Beatriz Robles warns us.
- What to do then? "If the food is spoiled, throw it away. If it is not spoiled, but you don't know how it has been preserved or how long it has been growing bacteria in the fridge, throw it away. If you have doubts, throw it away," Beatriz concludes forcefully.
Thinking that heat 'kills' everything
Thinking that heat 'kills' everything
If you burn it, yes you will kill everything, of course, but culinary it will not be pleasant and it can even be harmful to health. According to Beatriz Robles, "normal cooking, whether on kitchen fires, in the microwave or in the oven, eliminates microorganisms as long as the recommended temperatures and times are reached, but it does not manage to destroy spores or some resistant toxins to heat, like molds. "
- What to do then? Nothing to reheat any leftover that you doubt if it is in good condition or not in order to stay more calm. When in doubt, once again, better get rid of that leftover.
Believe in the 5 second rule
Believe in the 5 second rule
It is widely believed that if you drop a toast or some food on the ground, nothing happens if you pick it up within 5 seconds because the germs do not have time to cling. Lie. Not worth it. And neither if you also blow it to remove any trace of contamination. "Many think that microorganisms are queuing at a marquee, waiting for the bus shaped like toast to arrive, to go up in an orderly manner and present the transport pass", jokes Beatriz Robles. "Yes it is true that the amount of microorganisms that adhere will depend on the type of food that we drop (if it has a lot of humidity and a smooth surface, it will be easier for it to trap bacteria), and that the longer we leave it in soil,more microbial load will have. But there is no 'safe' time frame, he warns.
- What to do? If it falls to the ground, discard it. And if you are tempted to conserve it, "think the ecosystem may be on the ground that you step on with the shoes with which you come from the street, where there are remains of garbage, feces and urine of animals - and humans - and dirt galore ", recommends Beatriz.
Remove the spoiled part and eat the rest
Remove the damaged part and eat the rest
A very common practice is to take something from the fridge, a sauce, a jam, a fruit … and if you have a spoiled part, remove it and eat the rest calmly. "To begin with, mycotoxins can penetrate the food and there is no way of knowing how much you have to eliminate. In addition, by removing the deteriorated part, you may be dragging the toxins and contaminating the apparently healthy areas", warns Beatriz Robles.
- What to do? "There is only one solution: ALWAYS discard the entire product, regardless of its texture, hardness or moisture. If you find it difficult to waste food, the solution is to plan and make better use of it, not to risk food safety," he concludes.
Suck the heads of the prawns
Suck the heads of the prawns
Beatriz Robles explains that it is not advisable to suck the heads of shrimp and other crustaceans, as well as the body of crabs "because it is the part in which more cadmium accumulates", a heavy metal present in the environment that is accumulates in food. "Once ingested, cadmium accumulates mainly in the kidney and liver, and is toxic to these organs. In addition, it produces bone demineralization and there is evidence that it can cause cancer," she continues to explain.
- What to do? The food authorities do not establish a safe maximum ration, but recommend avoiding sucking the heads or using them to make broths (although in this case the cadmium would be more diluted when incorporating broth). "If you still don't want to forget about them, what you should know is that the greater the exposure, the greater the risk (or what is the same: the more, the worse)", says Beatriz.
Eat the chicken undercooked
Eat the chicken undercooked
Although some meats do not present a high risk if they are eaten a little raw on the inside because most of the bacteria are on their surface, this is not the case with poultry. "You must not eat raw or undercooked meat of any bird. Not ducks, turkeys, chickens, chickens or any other animal with feathers and wings, even if you have handled it scrupulously (…). It is likely that they are contaminated with Salmonella or Campylobacter, and that these bacteria reach hidden areas ", justifies Beatriz Robles.
- What to do? Eat this type of meat well done, but without burning it, of course.
Relying on marinade to neutralize germs
Relying on the marinade to neutralize germs
"Marinating does not destroy microorganisms, no matter how much lemon juice you hit them," says Beatriz Robles bluntly. But it does not mean that you have to do without this super useful cooking technique to add flavor, aroma, juiciness and tenderness to food. You just have to remember that it is not the same as disinfecting.
- What to do? To avoid getting intoxicated with marinades, Beatriz recommends marinating in disposable food-grade bags or in suitable glass, plastic or (if not acidic solutions) stainless steel containers. Cover or cover the food so that it is not in contact with other products, keep it in the refrigerator during the process and do not use the marinade liquid to dress other dishes.
Using sunflower oil for frying
Using sunflower oil for frying
Contrary to popular belief, sunflower oil has no better frying qualities than olive oil. "I give you the reason that olive oil is more expensive, that it is much better to consume it raw and that it is painful to see it overheat in the pan. But even there. Because it turns out that olive oil is more stable to heat, and that is in our interest to avoid undesirable compounds - that is, toxic ones - from being produced when we cook the frozen croquettes in Mom's container or go blind to French fries ", says Beatriz Robles.
- What to do? If you still want to use it, he recommends that it be a 'high oleic' sunflower oil because it comes from selected varieties that make it much more stable against oxidation.
Reuse frying oil
Reuse frying oil
"If it seems sacrilege to you to throw it away after a single use, you have to know that its 'resistance' to heat will depend on the type of oil and its acidity", explains Beatriz, "the higher the acidity, the worse the resistance to heat. that when reheating its quality goes down (which also), is that toxic compounds will begin to form, such as acrolein, each time at a lower temperature.
- What to do? New, refined or low acid oils are best for frying and not using it again. "And if you choose to live to the limit and reuse it, check that when heating it does not come out smoke and do not use it more than two or three times, being generous," he warns.
Thinking that coffee capsules cause cancer
Thinking that coffee capsules cause cancer
Coffee capsules have begun to be banned in some places, but not because their aluminum causes cancer as has once been said, but for environmental reasons, to reduce waste. "What is carcinogenic are the industrial activities of aluminum production, but not the ingestion through the diet", Beatriz clarifies but pointing out that "aluminum is toxic for the nervous system, but the one that we ingest by contact of food with utensils and materials, such as coffee capsules, is regulated so that we do not take amounts that put health at risk ".
- What to do? If you want to be respectful with the environment, skip the coffee capsules, which also cost you a fortune; check one day the price of the kilo of coffee in a package and that of the capsules (not the price per unit but per kilo) and you will see the gigantic difference. Now there are no health reasons to fear them. Here you have a lot of sustainable and inexpensive ideas for enjoying coffee.
Fear GMOs
Fear GMOs
Another widely held belief is that GM foods are to blame for all the ills. "What happens when you eat a transgenic food? That in your stomach you digest its genes and the proteins that these genes have encoded, exactly as you do with any other product. That DNA is not incorporated into your genome nor does it have the ability to alter anything", Beatriz Robles clarifies.
- What to do? Eat without fear. If the genes of what you eat could alter you, "you would already be purple for having eaten ordinary aubergines, which also have genes."
Trust blindly in organic food
Trust blindly in organic food
Although it is often believed that 'eco' products are safer and healthier because antibiotics or pesticides cannot be used in their production, this is not exactly the case. "Regardless of whether it is a 'conventional' or 'organic' food, the use of medicines and plant protection products is subject to rigorous regulations, maximum residue limits (MRLs) are established with a sufficiently wide margin so that they do not imply no health risk, and compliance is controlled. Something that, by the way, does not happen when the lettuces grown by your neighbor ", warns Beatriz Robles.
- What to do? According to Bernhard Url, director of the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), there are no food safety differences between conventional and organic foods. So you can safely eat both one and the other, as long as they follow the controls of the authorities that regulate food safety.
Avoid additives at all costs
Avoid additives at all costs
"Whoever thinks that foods 'without preservatives or colorants' are healthier, raise their hands," Beatriz Robles puts us to the test. "Exactly. To a large part of us those claims on the labeling are telling us that they are better than the ones next door, because they lack an ingredient, and it is installed in our head that the compound in question is harmful. It is a paradox, but the same industry that uses the additives (which NEEDS to use them) promotes their foods with the implicit message that they are not very good for you, "he continues, explaining that many additives such as E-330, which are not other than the citric acid in lemons and oranges, they are harmless.
- What to do? "If a product has a batch of additives, it is probably not healthy. But the problem will not be the additives, but the product as a whole, which will be an ultra-processed product made from cheap raw materials and with low nutritional density. Worry about refined flours , free sugars and low-quality fats. Additives are the least of it, "he concludes.
Believing that meat is full of hormones and antibiotics
Believing that meat is full of hormones and antibiotics
You have probably heard more than once that meat, milk, and eggs are full of antibiotics and hormones. Well, according to Beatriz Robles, "the use of hormones and other growth-promoting substances began to be banned in the European Union in 1981 (…) And since 2006, antibiotics cannot be used to make animals fat either" . Beatriz explains that there are authorized veterinary drugs that can be used if the animal is sick or as reproductive therapy, but limits are set for all to ensure that they do not reach the food chain.
- What to do? You can eat quietly. If you doubt whether all these regulations are applied and controlled, judge for yourself. "It is supervised both at the European and national level, and the official reports collect that between 99.65 percent and 99.88 percent of the samples comply with the legislation. They are numbers like to eat calmly," says Beatriz.
Teflon in pans is super dangerous
Teflon in pans is super dangerous
The product to which this trademark refers is inert: "it does not react with other chemical substances - or with food - so it is not toxic", Beatriz Robles makes us doubt. However, the belief has spread that it is very dangerous because of another component with which it is associated: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that usually accompanies it because it is the 'glue' with which the Teflon remains attached to the pan. "PFOA is classified as 'possibly carcinogenic' (although the evidence that it causes cancer is limited), it is toxic and can accumulate in the body."Beatriz explains to us. But the good news is that "this material is on the inside of the Teflon, not on the surface where the food is cooked. If you use pans that are in good condition, the risk is zero. E, even if they have scratches or cracks , the exposure is so small that the risk is minimal ", he concludes.
- What to do? Cook without fear with Teflon pans but take care of them a little and do not overheat them.
Eat safe eating everything
Eat safe eating everything
If you want to know more, you will be interested in Eat Safe Eating Everything, Beatriz Robles's book. This food safety expert teaches us what we should do to ward off dangers from our kitchen.
