Deadly street food: the dangerous street food

Svetlana Nezvanova

Dietitian, a gastroenterologist, a qualified nutritionist (Mr. Moscow), DNA diets developer (RUSNANO).

Eat on the street like a lot, it means that it is safe. Correctly?

If it was safe, infectious hospitals would not be filled by people with food poisoning. The first step after taking I send patients for a blood test and stool - and regularly discover parasites. Pests are waiting for the right moment, and when the immune system is weakened, strike.

It turns out there are street food should not be?

Something has still possible. My test purchases in street cafes show that the safest thing sweet pastries. But remember: this is not the most useful snack. As a dietitian, I do not recommend there cakes often.

If you want to eat on the street meat - choose a grill. Be sure to check that the food was well done. No blue and medium rare. Ask dozharit steak to a state of well done and overcooked.

To destroy microbes, the temperature in all parts of the product should reach 70 ° C.

Even more or less safe boiled corn, nuts, and simple salads, which are cut right in front of you.

In no case do not buy:

• milkshakes;
• ice cream is not in their original packaging;
• previously prepared salads, especially with mayonnaise;
• dishes with egg, sausage and dairy products;
• sushi and rolls.

I do not recommend the street food to people with acute exacerbations of diseases of the stomach and intestines, fermentopathy and chronic pancreatitis. You also can not take a chance, if you have an autoimmune disease or Cancer. In all other cases, you can develop a custom list of the allowed foods.

And what about my grandmother's pies at stations?

Privokzalny pies - a "Russian roulette". On quality, the composition and expiry date is not known. For the stuffing can use stale leftover meat, but because of the spices that you can not determine. In addition, the seller can be infectious or viral diseases. So from that street food should be abandoned.

Fountain beverages you can drink on the street?

Neck and smoothies are safe when pure fruit when you cut and then thrown into a blender. It is better when the drink consists of one or two ingredients: then more likely that they use the whole fruit, not the leftovers.

With dispensing kvass, for example, It's Complicated. At the end of the day or in the early morning to buy it dangerous. Barrel can stand the heat all day, and it promotes the growth of pathogens. In the morning, you can sell something that is not bought the previous day. Therefore, if you want to drink kvass, choose a point where there are small canisters. The ideal time - 10-12 hours of the day. On the tent should be the name of the FE and all necessary quality certificates.

But to buy juice or other drink with ice is always dangerous. Ice is often made from dirty water, so there can be harmful bacteria.

How to properly wash fruits and vegetables? Sometimes, they simply dipped into a bowl of water

It is better to abstain from food, if you see that:

• vegetables wash basin in general;
• not washed at all, but simply clean with a knife;
• washed and cleaned in advance (at home, for example).

The risk of contracting food-borne infections in such cases above. The most terrible thing - it is mechanical cleaning of dirty vegetable or fruit. The parasite can get into the flesh with a knife. Ideally, it is necessary that the crude products were purified with a brush and rinsed with boiling water.

As the ingredients should be stored? Vendors use different methods. For example, in Asia, with 40-degree heat store raw meat in ice packs

Example Asia is not the best in terms of infectious diseases. In the heat of the meat quickly deteriorates. Ice does not provide uniform cooling. That is why in Asia have become popular spices, especially red pepper. Acute increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This helps to prevent the penetration and proliferation of pathogenic flora. By the way, the situation with fish is the same. Wasabi sushi added for this reason.

Perishable foods should only be stored in the refrigerator.

How should prepare food? What should be wearing chef? Street food vendors have usually no gloves, no hat or apron

Cook should be wearing gloves, a special change of clothes and a hat on his head. Look to the apron clean: stains and dirt on it should scare you.

It is important to know the conditions in which food is cooked, whether there is a marking and refrigerator, medknizhka employees. Now I notice positive changes. Stritkafe do open, with large windows. Buyers see the chefs and kitchen. Confidence in such cafes more and, therefore, sales more.

How should wash the dishes for street food if it is not a one-off?

Desirably, it was tableware washer and dried at high temperatures. If there is no equipment cafes - find another. And the owners of such points is recommend to take care of high-quality disposable utensils. In the age of HLS-trends this can be a significant competitive advantage.

For cold food and beverage can use utensils and packaging made of polystyrene, for hot - polypropylene (her safely be heated to 120-140 ° C, including the microwave oven). Disposable tableware made of PVC and melamine can not be used.

Street food is often prepared fried or grilled. The dangerous old frying oil or meat, which turns the whole day on a spit?

It is better to buy food, which is prepared on an open fire or cooked. Frying oil is dangerous carcinogens, and transform fats. But with pork and chicken on a spit everything trickier.

Former employees of the supermarket told: meat and poultry, which are not able to sell in the first or second week, heavily sprinkled with spices and send in a small point with a grill. There may be another two or three weeks, if they do not buy before. The longer the product is stored, the greater the chance of reproduction in it of pathogens.

If cooked food sit flies, it's scary?

Yes, it's dangerous. Therefore, it is desirable that the products have been covered with cling film. Most of his life flies is carried out in harmful bacterial environment, so carry the disease. Their legs may be the eggs of worms, agents of intestinal infections (salmonellosis, cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever) and tuberculosis.

More flies can lay eggs on the product, which after some time turn into maggots. When a weak immune system or diseases of the stomach, they can not fully digest and cause serious illness.

Does the point of location of street food in the food danger?

Location little effect on the quality and food safety. Is more important than internal regulations. The presence of pathogens depends on the personnel, supply and storage of products. In one area may be located both safe and dangerous Cafe.

But there is a rule: if the point is popular, the flow of customers large and small selection of meals, say one or two main positions, the food will be a good buy. And so it is always, even in hot weather, it will be fresh.

The less food is in the open position, the safer. But much depends on the immune system of the person, if it works well, the infection will not stay in the body.

What is worth remembering buying street food abroad?

Abroad, people are often faced with traveler's diarrhea. Because the local food in the body get other strains of bacteria. Particularly affected are people with a small composition of the microbiota. This can occur due to excessive hygiene practices. If you are obsessed with cleanliness and washing your hands constantly, immunity will not be able to fight against pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. Therefore, more and more scientists say that excessive hygiene can harm the body.

When traveling to exotic countries, it is better not to experiment with the local street food. Due to the nature of your body you may encounter with individual intolerance. And then the trip can end up costly hospitalization.

What hygiene rules must be followed to? What if to wash their hands before eating nowhere?

Now you can wash your hands in many parks, pedestrian zones. If there is no water, use a cloth first, then antiseptic. There are dirty hands can not - it is a common cause of infection.

If the street food was bad, what to do? What first aid can provide yourself?

If you think that you poplohelo after a certain product that you eat 1-2 hours before you can wash the stomach. And be sure to drink adsorbents. They - the main helpers in case of poisoning, and food infection. Formulations absorb and excrete gases, toxins, microbes, drugs, allergens, radioisotopes, heavy metal salts.

If the street food the child became ill, call your doctor immediately.