Can You Eat Food That Has Fallen On The Ground?
It is a fairly common custom to consume food that has fallen to the ground after lightly cleaning or blowing on it. Now, is it safe or are we putting our health at risk?
At some point, most people have had this doubt. Therefore, below we are going to analyze why you should not ingest any product that has come into contact with the soil.
There are microorganisms present in the soil
Although we are not able to see them, there are millions of living microorganisms that inhabit the soil. Some are human pathogens, while others are harmless. However, when food comes into contact with the ground it fills with these living organisms.
For this reason, a perfect breeding ground is created for those pathogens to colonize its surface. In the case of ingesting the product, we will be introducing a lot of harmful elements into the body that could cause infections.
An example of this type of bacteria is E.coli, present in some types of contaminated meat and in the intestine. Certain strains of this genus can trigger severe gastrointestinal pathologies, as detailed in an article published in the Brazilian Journal of Microbiology.
Washing them with water is not enough
Before consuming them, it is common to wash food with water once it falls on the ground. However, clean water is not capable of destroying possible pathogenic microorganisms that have colonized its surface.
Therefore, cleaning them in this way is not an effective solution when it comes to reducing the danger of existing bacteria. It is true that water can reduce fungal and yeast populations a bit. However, the rest of microorganisms would not be affected, as stated in a study published in 2018.
The correct thing is to discard the food
If the food has fallen to the ground, unless it is going to be subjected to a high temperature cooking process, the best option would be to dispose of it. It may be the case of a fruit with peel. In this type of situation, it would be enough to peel the product well, making sure that there are no traces of the most superficial part.
In any case, it is advisable to throw away any food that has fallen to the ground, especially if we do not know how clean it is. It is not the same that a product falls on the floor at home, where we can relatively guarantee its hygiene, than on the street.
The importance of food hygiene
Many times it is not given the importance it needs, but maintaining good food hygiene habits is crucial to prevent the appearance of diseases. Simple practices, such as not breaking the cold chain or carrying out complete cooking of food, prevent bacterial proliferation.
Otherwise, we will be exposed to contaminations that can lead to gastrointestinal problems or more serious pathologies. It is also recommended not to mix raw with cooked and to use clean utensils to handle different foods.
Good storage and packaging practices are essential in limiting bacterial growth. It should be remembered that deaths occur every year in developed countries from eating contaminated food. The number of deaths from this reason is much higher in developing countries.
Fortunately, in a large number of countries there is access to safe drinking water, which reduces the risk of contamination. Despite this, we are often exposed to dubious food hygiene practices that can lead to the appearance of poisonings.
It is better not to eat food from the ground
Unless it is a food that falls to the floor of the house, or that is going to be subjected to a complete cooking process, it is advisable to discard the food that comes into contact with the floor. Thus we will not endanger health by ingesting microorganisms that are harmful to the body.
On the other hand, we must remember the importance of maintaining correct food hygiene practices to ensure health. Defects in these types of habits can lead to the appearance of poisonings that can generate severe problems in some cases.
