7 Neat Hacks To Protect Yourself From Food Poisoning This Summer

As if the sweltering heat weren’t bad enough, summer is also the time when you are most likely to pick up a stomach bug. The heat and humidity of summer promotes the growth of bacteria, which means that your food can go bad in a matter of hours. This is why it is important to take additional food safety precautions in summer and prevent food poisoning; imagine running up a temperature in this heat!


Prevent Summer Food Poisoning

There are a few precautions that you can take to make sure that you are protected from food poisoning this summer.

1. Avoid All Non-Veg Street Food:

“Non veg food spoils very easily in summer & obviously roadside hawkers can’t refrigerate the meat they use”
As you trudge home after a long work day, only to be greeted with the intoxicating aroma of kheema pav, kebabs, and bhurji, you feel like nothing could be more comforting than a quick bite. Don’t even think about it! Non veg food spoils very easily in summer and obviously, roadside hawkers can’t refrigerate the meat they use; not to mention that they aren’t exactly the bastions of hygiene!

2. Eggs Should Be Completely Cooked:

“Eggs can carry the salmonella bacteria, which causes food poisoning”
Eggs are the most likely food to contain salmonella, as salmonella bacteria thrive in summer – it’s a type of bacteria that causes food poisoning. Don’t worry egg addicts, you don’t need to give up your favorite breakfast food, you just have to make sure that you cook your eggs well. If cooked at a temperature of 160°F (71°C) or higher, you have nothing to worry about.


3. Keep Food Very Hot Or Cold But Not Warm:

“Keep your food at extreme temperatures to prevent bacteria from gaining a foothold”

Bacteria are like Goldilocks – they don’t like it too hot or too cold; they want their food just right! Keep your food at extreme temperatures – either very hot or very cold to prevent bacteria from gaining a foothold. This is also why foods can’t be kept out for long in summer.

4. Don’t Buy Milkshakes & Falooda Off A Cart:

“Bacteria in milk proliferate very quickly, which is why dairy products start to go bad in less than 2 hours”

After a particularly good meal, you decide to head down to the juice center or snack shack for a tall glass of ice-cold mango milkshake – what a mistake! Bacteria in milk proliferate very quickly, which is why dairy products start to go bad in under 2 hours. What’s worse is that the mango and other added flavors will mask the bad taste and smell of milk that is just starting to spoil. It’s perfectly fine to have dairy drinks like rose lassi in summer, as long as it’s homemade.

5. Don’t Leave Food Uncovered:

“The number of flies increases drastically in summer so cover your food until you are about to eat”

Summer is in full swing, and so are the flies! It’s wise to cover food throughout the year, but it’s especially important in summer when the population of flies explodes. Simply shooing them off will not solve the problem, as they could have already transferred microbes to your food. So, always make sure to cover your food until you are about to eat.

6. Turn Down Your Fridge Temperature:

“Foods should be kept at 5 degrees C in summer to prevent spoilage”
It’s hotter outside, which means that your fridge has a tougher time staying cool. Turn down your fridge temperature to ensure that your refrigerated foods remain at a nice cold 5 degrees C.

7. Refrigerate Your Pickles:

“Normally the acids and salt in pickles prevent bacterial growth but the high temperatures and humidity levels in summer can become a problem”

Yes, the idea of refrigerating pickle may seem absurd but it is a good food safety measure during summer. Normally the acids and salt in pickles are enough to stave off bacteria and mold but in summer with the increase in temperature and humidity levels, they can become a problem.

Protect yourself from food poisoning this summer by choosing the right summer foods. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it’s totally worth the effort, you’ll be glad once you get through the season without having to take a single sick day.