With advancement in science and technology, many gadgets, devices and appliances have come up, which have made human life very easy. One of them is the refrigerator. It is a “must have” household appliance because it has proved to be very useful in storing and increasing life of fruits, vegetables and other food items which would have perished overnight if left out. ALSO READ: Food poisoning: Recognising risks and ensuring safety However, refrigeration, though very useful, is not all good in all aspects. It does have some health hazards, some of which people are unaware. After three to four days of refrigeration, bacteria start to grow in the food items placed in the fridge. The risk is higher with milk, milk products, meat, and meat products. The risk of growing germs is greater in cooked food than raw unwashed food, more in wet or liquid food items, as compared to dry items. The greater the duration of food kept in the refrigerator, the more the risk of contamination of refrigerated food. Frequent opening of the refrigerator door or leaving it open exposes the food kept to outside air and temperature, thus enhancing risk of contamination. The risk is also enhanced if the temperature of refrigeration is suboptimal. Once a particular food item gets contaminated, the infection can spread to other foods kept in the refrigerator as well. Apart from being in refrigeration for long periods, food items can also get contaminated if kept by unclean, unhygienic hands or the container is unclean. Cold drinks are also at risk of becoming contaminated, if kept for extended times in the refrigerator. The risk is more, if the bottle of cold drink or water has been opened partly or fully. Common microbes which grow in refrigerated foods are listeria, salmonella, E.coli, campylobacter, rota virus, noro virus, hepatitis virus, and others. These microbes can cause illnesses ranging from loose motions, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, fever, weakness, or one or more of these symptoms. Hepatitis, if it occurs, can affect and even damage the liver. Contaminated meat, as by clostridium botulinum, usually causes fatal illness. Refrigeration, as such, helps to retain the nutrition of a food item, which if left outside, would have decayed. However, moisture of every edible item starts drying, over time in the refrigerator. If this is enhanced, there is risk of loss of water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B. complex and C. There can be loss of anti-oxidants, vitamin C in pre-cut fruits kept in refrigeration. Reheating refrigerated food for use is also responsible for loss of nutrients. However, just by following some precautions, one can take full advantage of a refrigerator. In general, keep raw food items for approximately a week and cooked foods for two to three days. Be extra careful with milk and meat products. Instead of keeping foods in plastics, better to keep it in airtight containers. Food should not be reheated and reused many times. While taking out cooked food for reuse, instead of bringing out and reheating the entire dish, it would be preferable to take out, heat and use only that quantity, which is needed at that time. This helps in preventing spoiling of food and loss of nutrients. Keep meat and milk products in deep freeze, which helps in preventing their contamination. Avoid keeping pre-cut fresh fruits, vegetables, and salads, in the refrigerator as they are at greater risk of getting contaminated and causing food poisoning. Avoid opening the fridge door frequently, unnecessarily, more particularly leaving it open. Any food or drink that smells bad or has become discoloured after being taken out from the refrigerator should be discarded immediately. Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk
