Badly Cooked Food: Can It Be Bad For Your Health?
In recent years, the consumption of raw foods has increased. This is due to the influence of Asian and South American cuisines. Despite this, there are certain foods that need to be cooked correctly to prevent complications. What happens if you eat poorly cooked food?
Consuming foods that are improperly cooked can sometimes lead to poisoning or poisoning that complicates health. Therefore, it is necessary to know why some types of food must be cooked well and which ones can cause health problems.
Cooking is a hygienic method
One of the functions of cooking food, apart from improving the organoleptic qualities, is to improve its healthiness. By subjecting a food to high temperatures we ensure that the living organisms that inhabit it are destroyed.
In this way, bacteria, fungi or other microorganisms that have been shown to colonize the digestive tract and cause diseases, such as salmonellosis , are eliminated .
One of the most practical examples is the sterilization of milk. This is subjected to high temperatures for a short time to ensure its food safety.
Once this process is finished, it can be kept in a closed container for a long time, until the date of consumption. In this way, the absence of pathogenic microorganisms is guaranteed.
Beware of meats
Among the foods that usually need complete cooking are meats. Normally, leaving a lean steak or chop somewhat undercooked is usually not a problem.
Pathogenic organisms are found on the surface, therefore only the outermost part of the product needs to be browned to ensure its safety. However, things get complicated when we talk about minced meat.
A typical example is hamburgers. In this type of product, all meat is susceptible to contain pathogenic organisms, both on the surface and inside. Therefore, we must ensure that the piece reaches at least 60 or 70 degrees inside.
Leaving meat burgers undercooked inside is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Consuming this type of poorly cooked food is a real health risk.
Fish are also risk foods
During the last years, the consumption of raw fish has become popular from the oriental culture. Sushi chains and other types of dishes that use this seafood product have proliferated without a prior cooking process .
However, for the fish to be consumed raw it must go through a previous freezing process. In this way, we ensure the death of the microorganisms present or their inactivity. Consuming raw fish without respecting food safety regulations has proven to be very harmful to health.
The most dangerous organism in these types of products is usually the anisakis, according to a study published in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms . It is found mainly in white fish, and is easily removed during freezing. In addition, it is quite common for preparations that involve the use of raw fish to incorporate some acid in their recipe, such as lime juice.
Said variation in pH also supposes a hard blow against the microorganisms that can live on its surface. Now, if fresh fish is to be consumed without a prior freezing process, it is essential to ensure that it is properly cooked.
Something similar happens with meats; it is necessary to at least cause a cooking on the outside of the product in blue fish, and a complete cooking in white fish. In this way, we make sure that the food is not susceptible to causing diseases.
Conclusion about eating poorly cooked food
Eating raw or undercooked food can pose a health risk. It is interesting to know the origin of the product and if it has been subjected to a previous freezing process. In this way, we can determine the risk of consuming it under an incomplete cooking method.
Special care must be taken with meat burgers and white fish, as they are critical foods from the point of view of food safety. When consuming some type of raw food it is important to make sure it is frozen for a prudent period of time.
In addition, it is usually a good idea to introduce some acid element in the preparation of the dish to vary the pH and, in this way, ensure the death of the possible pathogenic organisms that inhabit it.
