Overnight watermelon "poisoned" a family of three?
According to news reports, such a lamentable incident occurred in Xi'an, and watermelon was brought to the forefront overnight.
Tutu (pseudonym) and his family did not finish eating the watermelon immediately after cutting it. The next day after the family ate the overnight watermelon, the adults developed symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and other discomforts, and the child Tutu had these symptoms. Symptoms of blood in the stool and no urine also appeared. After going to the hospital for examination, it was found that the adult had food poisoning, but the child unfortunately suffered from renal failure and required dialysis treatment.
Seeing such news, watermelon lovers can’t help but feel worried. Many people also questioned whether the cause of a family of three being hospitalized was really the overnight watermelon? Could it be that the watermelon itself has deteriorated, or has been improperly stored? Is it an exaggeration to say that eating watermelon overnight is very harmful?
What is the answer to netizens’ questions? In recent years, there have been many rumors about overnight food. Labels such as "harmful to the body," "harmful" and "carcinogenic" have been affixed to overnight food. Can we still eat the leftover food that we can’t finish eating overnight? Let Xiaomiao take you into science and find out the truth.
1. Can these 4 overnight foods be eaten?
In order to dispel the rumors, some official experimenters have conducted experiments on whether overnight food can be eaten. Let us take a look one by one.
- Experiment 1: Overnight Tea
CCTV Financial Channel Three different teas were brewed separately, and the nitrite in them was tested after being left for 12 hours and 24 hours.
The results found that the tea did not deteriorate or have an unusual sour taste within 24 hours, and the body would not have any abnormal symptoms after drinking it. At the same time, the nitrite content in tea is also very low, only below 0.2mg/L, which is still far from the national standard limit of ≤1mg/L.
In other words, As long as the overnight tea does not go bad, drinking it will not pose a threat to health. However, considering that if the tea is left overnight, the vitamin C and tea polyphenols contained in it will be oxidized, the nutritional value will be greatly reduced , so it is still recommended to drink fresh tea.
- Experiment 2: Overnight water
- Experiment 3: Overnight dishes
- Experiment 4: Overnight watermelon
There are rumors that boiling water cannot be left overnight, otherwise the nitrite content in it will increase dramatically. Drinking it will cause human poisoning and even induce cancer . Is this true? ?
Staff members of the Food Inspection Center of Weihai Market Supervision Bureau in Shandong heated the tap water once, five times and ten times respectively, and then placed the water at room temperature for 24 hours and 48 hours before measuring the nitrite content inside.
The results found that the nitrite content in the water heated once increased from 0.0016mg/L/ to 0.0088mg/L within 0 to 48 hours; the water boiled five times increased from 0.0026mg/L/ to 0.013mg/ L; while water boiled ten times increased from 0.0030mg/L to .014mg/L.
Judging from these measured values, there is still a big gap between and the national limit of 1mg/L, so it can be consumed with confidence.
However, it is still not recommended to leave boiling water for too long, especially when the weather is hot. Bacteria can easily breed if left at room temperature. After drinking, it may cause diarrhea and other problems.
There are many rumors about overnight tea. Many rumors claim that overnight dishes contain a large amount of nitrite and bacteria, which can cause kidney damage after consumption.
Ningbo Food Inspection and Testing Research Institute conducted an experiment . Researchers used home cooking methods to process 32 kinds of ingredients and made a total of 30 dishes. These dishes were then placed for 0 to 24 hours respectively at ambient temperatures of 25°C and 4°C. Finally, the total number of bacterial colonies and nitrite content in the dishes were measured.
Judging from the experimental results, for dishes placed in an environment of 4°C, there was almost no major change in nitrite and the total number of bacterial colonies within 24 hours, while for dishes placed in an environment of 25°C, the nitrite content of vegetables dropped significantly within 12 hours. The nitrate content increased significantly, while the meat and vegetables showed no significant change even after 24 hours.
In other words, it is generally recommended not to leave leftovers at room temperature for more than 12 hours, especially vegetables. If it is placed in the refrigerator, the production of nitrite can be avoided to a large extent, and normal consumption will not bring excessive risks to health.
Examples of poisoning and hospitalization due to eating overnight watermelon are so common that many people will be conditioned to feel scared when they see watermelon. Can overnight watermelon be eaten?
Zhejiang Ningbo Market Supervision Administration once conducted an experiment. Researchers placed watermelons in environments at 30°C and 4°C, and compared the total number of bacterial colonies in the watermelons at different time points. It varies from 4 to 48 hours. The results of
measurement showed that the total number of bacterial colonies increased less within 8 hours after the watermelon was cut and placed. It is safe to eat at this time. But once it is left for more than 16 hours, bacteria will begin to multiply, and the rate of bacterial reproduction will accelerate after 24 hours.
It is recommended not to eat watermelon if it has been left for more than 24 hours. If you want to continue eating it, should cut the watermelon and cover it with plastic wrapand store it in the refrigerator.
2. If it is these four kinds of food, it is recommended that you try not to eat it overnight
Although the food that has been eaten overnight is not as scary as everyone thinks, if it is these four kinds of dishes, it is still recommended that you eat fresh.
The first is vegetables that have been left overnight . Vegetables are generally recommended to be cooked and eaten immediately. Leaving them for too long will cause the nitrite content in them to increase significantly. Long-term consumption may have adverse effects on health;
The second is seafood. , seafood itself is particularly prone to containing bacteria. Seafood left overnight is even worse. It may induce liver and kidney damage after eating;
The third is soft-boiled eggs should be cooked and eaten immediately. Undercooked eggs themselves are easy to contain salmonella, etc., after being left for a long time The bacterial content will be higher;
and finally Tremella fuciformis It is not recommended to leave it for too long. Some improperly stored Tremella fuciformis may produce flavibacterium toxins, which will cause diarrhea and abdominal pain after consumption.
3. Store leftovers reasonably and eat leftovers with confidence. 3 things to remember
In life, leftovers are inevitable. It is very important to learn to store leftovers correctly. These 4 things you need to know. .
. It is better not to leave any meat dishes than vegetarian dishes.
It is best not to leave vegetarian vegetables behind when eating vegetables, because vegetables are prone to produce nitrite after being left for a long time. In comparison, this will not happen with meat dishes. Meat and vegetable refrigerators Properly stored, it can generally be kept for 2 to 3 days.
. Leftovers should be stored separately.
Pay attention to storing leftovers and other foods in the refrigerator separately. It is best to place them in different compartments. At the same time, be sure to cover them with plastic wrap to avoid the occurrence of bacteria in other foods. Cross-infection .
. Put it in the refrigerator while it is hot
Many people wait until the dishes are cold before putting them in the refrigerator. This approach is not recommended. The best way to store leftovers is to put them directly in the refrigerator without scalding them to hot hands. The longer they are left at room temperature, the more serious the bacterial contamination will be.
4. There are tips for reheating
When heating leftovers, must be completely heated (100°C, boiling for about 3 minutes). If it is not completely heated, it is easy to cause incomplete killing of bacteria, which affects health.
In short, for the sake of health, it is best not to eat overnight food in life, but in many cases, overnight food is not as scary as everyone thinks. Store it reasonably and eat it scientifically. You don’t have to worry too much about the risks of cancer and disease. #HealthTruthPlan#
Reference:
[1] "Tell your parents quickly, don't keep these two kinds of leftovers!" This is how experts eat overnight dishes ". Life Times. 2017-03-11
[2] "Can you eat "overnight watermelon"? Let experimental data speak". Life Times. 2020-07-04
[3] "What kind of food can be eaten overnight? What can't be eaten? Watch early and benefit early! 》.Popular Science China.2021-12-12
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