Listeria: how the cost of living crisis could increase the risk of food poisoning. (make sure you fridge stays <=5) MiC

5 comments

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    > More than half the people in the UK say that their health has been negatively affected by the rising cost of living, according to a YouGov poll. Rising energy and food prices can certainly harm people’s health in many ways – but there’s one way that hasn’t been much discussed. As a food-safety expert, my concern is that it might increase rates of a particularly deadly food poisoning called listeriosis.

    > Listeriosis is food poisoning caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Symptoms might begin a few days after a person has eaten contaminated food, but it can take 30 days or more before the first symptoms appear. These can include a high temperature, aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. But for people with weakened immune systems, listeriosis can result in severe life-threatening issues, such as meningitis and sepsis.

    > Although the number of people who get listeriosis each year is low, the disease is particularly deadly. Even with antibiotic treatment, between 20% and 40% of people with listeriosis die. So even a small increase in cases is still bad news.

    > Listeria is commonly associated with chilled ready-to-eat foods that don’t need to be cooked or reheated, such as smoked fish, ready-to-eat meats, unpasteurised cheeses, and salads and sandwiches. The steps we can take to reduce the risk of listeriosis are ensuring our fridges are running at temperatures below 5℃, sticking to the use-by dates on foods and following the opened storage duration instructions.

    …

    https://theconversation.com/listeria-how-the-cost-of-living-crisis-could-increase-the-risk-of-food-poisoning-189417

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    **UK government food and beverage chilling recommendations**

    > Chilling food properly helps stop harmful bacteria from growing.

    > To keep your food safe:

    > * store any food with a ‘use by’ date, along with cooked dishes, salads and dairy products, in your fridge
    > * keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation
    > * cool cooked food quickly at room temperature and then place in the fridge within one to two hours
    > * please follow the storage instructions on packaging, including the best before and use-by dates

    > You need to check that your fridge is cold enough using a fridge thermometer. This is because the dials on fridges don’t always show you the right temperature. **Your fridge should be 5°C or below.**

    …

    https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/chilling (added emphasis)

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    **Time-Temperature Profiling of United Kingdom Consumers’ Domestic Refrigerators**

    > Increased consumer demand for convenience and ready-to-eat food, along with changes to consumer food purchase and storage practices, have resulted in an increased reliance on refrigeration to maximize food safety. Previous research suggests that many domestic refrigerators operate at temperatures exceeding recommendations; however, the results of several studies were determined by means of one temperature data point, which, given temperature fluctuation, may not be a true indicator of actual continual operating temperatures. Data detailing actual operating temperatures and the effects of consumer practices on temperatures are limited.

    > This study has collated the time-temperature profiles of domestic refrigerators in consumer kitchens (n = 43) over 6.5 days with concurrent self-reported refrigerator usage. Overall, the findings established a significant difference (P < 0.05) between one-off temperature (the recording of one temperature data point) and mean operating temperature. No refrigerator operated at ≤5.0°C for the entire duration of the study. Mean temperatures exceeding 5.0°C were recorded in the majority (91%) of refrigerators. No significant associations or differences were determined for temperature profiles and demographics, including household size, or refrigerator characteristics (age, type, loading, and location). A positive correlation (P < 0.05) between room temperature and refrigerator temperature was determined. Reported door opening frequency correlated with temperature fluctuation (P < 0.05). Thermometer usage was determined to be infrequent.

    > Cumulatively, research findings have established that the majority of domestic refrigerators in consumer homes operate at potentially unsafe temperatures and that this is influenced by consumer usage. The findings from this study may be utilized to inform the development of shelf-life testing based on realistic domestic storage conditions. Furthermore, the data can inform the development of future educational interventions to increase safe domestic refrigeration practices.

    https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-16-270 (open paper)

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  3. So are we buying fridges which don’t operate at less than 5c? Am I misunderstanding something here?

  5. I don’t think the fridge is to blame and I’m suspicious of the huge leap recently…

    Listeria is most likely to come from seafood if my understanding is correct (cooking background rather than science, so please correct). Why are we having this shortly after all our waters were polluted by the release of sewage on levels not seen before?

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