The story begins with the habit of buying a lot for sure. Meat, fish, spring rolls, cakes... are filled the refrigerator. Some people even think: "Frozen food can be kept for as long as possible". But in reality, frozen food is not immortal. Meat and fish left for too long, frozen - thawed many times will lose substance, easily contaminated with bacteria. When processed again, the taste may still be okay, but bacteria have silently multiplied.
The second mistake is being subjective with cooked food. On Tet, the tray of food is always full, if you can't finish eating it, you put it away. Some houses leave the pot of food outside the kitchen because it's "cold". But just a few hours at normal temperature, bacteria have the opportunity to grow. At the next meal, warm it up again for peace of mind? Not really. Some toxins produced by bacteria are not completely destroyed when heated and then the whole family... gets a stomachache at the beginning of the year.
It is also impossible not to mention the habit of mixing raw and cooked foods in the refrigerator. A bag of raw meat placed right on a box of cooked food, as soon as the meat juice leaks out, bacteria have "traveled" to another dish. The refrigerator is not a magic box that prevents all risks, if arranged incorrectly, it becomes a very quick cross-infection point.
Another common mistake is trusting your eyes and nose rather than the expiration date. Many people think: "If you haven't seen mold, haven't smelled strange, you can eat it". But spoiled food doesn't always "speak out" clearly. There are types of bacteria that cause poisoning that do not change the taste, only when the body reacts do you know there is a problem.
In fact, Tet and the festival season are times when food poisoning cases increase. The causes are not only from strange dishes, but many cases originate from the habit of hoarding and using unsafe food in each family. Floating food, processed food without labels, food left for a long time, improper storage or mixed with raw and cooked food can all become a danger.
More worryingly, there are bacteria that do not change the taste of food, but when they enter the body, they cause nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and even serious complications. Young children, the elderly, and pregnant women are the most susceptible subjects.
A fulfilling Tet is not in a full refrigerator, but in the safety of each meal. Buy just enough, choose food with clear origins, preserve properly, eat cooked and drink boiled, and be ready to throw away unsafe dishes.
Maintaining food safety sometimes starts from a very small thing: Don't stockpile too much, so that Tet is complete and peaceful.
