After heavy rain, food safety requires four musts and seven don’ts!

Since July 29, Beijing has been hit by heavy rainfall, with torrential rains occurring across the city and extremely heavy rains in the southwest.

Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds you: After heavy rainfall, the accompanying high temperature and high humidity weather makes intestinal infectious diseases and various foodborne diseases very likely to occur. Citizens should pay attention to food safety and never be careless. Do the "four musts and seven don'ts" and strictly prevent "diseases from the mouth."

"Seven Don'ts"

1. Waterlogged food - don’t eat it!

Food that has been soaked in rainwater is easily contaminated by microorganisms in sewage, rots and deteriorates, and food poisoning is very likely to occur after consumption. To ensure safety, it is best to discard flooded food and not eat it.

Kind tips:

Pay special attention to the food in the refrigerator. If the refrigerator has been invaded by rain or there has been a power outage, it is best to discard the food.

2. Spoiled food - don’t eat it!

Moldy food is harmful to health. After heavy rainfall, the weather is hot and humid, and food is prone to rot and spoilage. Rice and flour are also prone to mold if not stored properly. Eating moldy food can cause mycotoxin poisoning, which often causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and occasional diarrhea, followed by damage to various organ systems in the body (liver, kidney, nerves, blood).

Kind tips:

In summer, cooked food should not be stored at room temperature for more than 2 hours. All cooked food and perishable food should be stored in the refrigerator in time. Leftovers must be refrigerated, but not stored in the refrigerator for more than 3 days. They must be thoroughly heated before the next meal and should not be heated more than once. Food should be eaten on the same day as much as possible, and food that has already spoiled should not be eaten.

3. Animals whose cause of death is unknown—don’t eat them!

Do not eat meat from livestock and poultry such as chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle whose causes of death or sources are unknown, or aquatic products that died in rainfall. Animals whose causes of death are unknown may be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria, which may cause corruption and deterioration in the animal's body, producing toxins that can cause food poisoning if eaten.

Kind tips:

Bacterial food poisoning is mainly characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes fever, headache, etc.

4. Food of unknown origin - don’t eat it!

Do not eat food from unknown sources, that is not packaged in special food containers, or that does not have clear food labels.

5. Wild mushrooms - don’t eat them!

After the rain, wild mushrooms will grow in large numbers. The traditional simple methods and specific experience to identify poisonous mushrooms are unreliable. Never pick wild mushrooms at will.

6. Cold dishes with poor hygiene conditions - don’t eat them!

After heavy rain, sanitary conditions in some areas are poor. Cold dishes are easily contaminated during the preparation process, which can easily make people sick. It is safest to cook food thoroughly. Do not use rainwater to wash vegetables, fruits, and raw vegetables, fruits, and other foods must be washed with clean water.

7. Raw water - don’t drink it!

Do not drink raw water, water from unknown sources or water that is contaminated; raw water should be boiled before drinking or bottled water or barreled water that meets hygiene standards should be chosen; consciously protect the source of drinking water and the environment, and do not pile up garbage, dump domestic sewage, or discharge feces in designated places.

"Four Musts"

1. Improve personal hygiene and maintain an optimistic attitude

Pay attention to hand hygiene, wash your hands before meals and after going to the toilet, and use soap or hand sanitizer and running water to wash your hands as much as possible. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoid overwork, add clothes in time, and improve your immunity. In addition, people are prone to anxiety, depression, despair and other negative emotions during extreme weather events, which can cause mental illness in severe cases. Maintain an optimistic attitude and actively deal with negative emotions.

2. Disinfect tableware in time

If water enters your home and causes your kitchenware and tableware to be soaked, you should disinfect them before using them. The simplest way to disinfect is to put the washed tableware into a pot, completely immerse it in water and heat it. When the water boils, keep it for more than 15 minutes to achieve the purpose of disinfection.

3. Improve environmental hygiene

After heavy rainfall, the number of pests such as mosquitoes, flies, and rats increases, and the pathogens they carry can contaminate food and water sources, causing foodborne diseases. It is necessary to do a good job of preventing flies and rats, and prevent insects, pests, and other animals from entering the kitchen and contacting food. Food can be covered or stored in sealed containers, garbage cans must be tightly covered and garbage is removed regularly, and animals at home must be kept away from food preparation areas.

4. Seek medical attention promptly

After heavy rain, if you experience fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or other symptoms of physical discomfort, you must seek medical attention promptly. You should not take antidiarrheal drugs, antibiotics, or other medications without authorization.