An evaluation of domestic refrigerator temperatures has led to an update of guidelines on shelf life studies.
Work of scientists from the French Bureau for Food, Environment and Professional Health and Safety (Anses) led to a revision in the reference temperature for calculating data for ready-made cooled foods. It takes into account the temperatures that are observed in household fridges in 16 European countries and was set to help prevent Listeria Monocytogenogens caused by food caused by pathogenic bacteria, such as Listeria Monocytogenes.
Food at low temperature keeps slows down the growth of micro -organisms that are responsible for diseases transferred by food. It is recommended to set the temperature of the refrigerator at under 4 degrees C (39.2 degrees F).
A study in Europe by scientists from the Salmonella and Listeria unit of the Anses Food Safety Laboratory discovered that the average temperature of domestic refrigerators in Europe is 6.4 degrees C (43.5 degrees F), and 95 percent of them are less than 10 degrees C (50 degrees F).
Reasonable storage expectations
Producers of ready-made foods are required to test the development of bacteria under circumstances in which the food will actually be stored. This includes demonstrating that the concentration of Listeria monocytogenes will not be higher than 100 colony -forming units per gram (CFU/G) at the end of the shelf life.
In the absence of data on domestic refrigerator temperatures, the reference laboratory of the European Union (EURL) for Listeria Monocytogenes ordered to simulate storage at 12 degrees C (53.6 degrees F) in consumer houses.
To obtain data to support these recommendations, the Salmonella and Listeria unit analyzed the scientific literature from 2002 to 2020. Scientists have assessed the results of 17 studies and 10 national surveys in 16 countries – 14 in the European Union, Plus the United Kingdom and Norway. Findings were published in the magazine Food microbiology.
Temperature variability for refrigerators that were mainly dependent on the age of the device, the thermostat setting, the frequency and duration of the doorway and the occupancy rate of the refrigerator.
Based on these results, the EURL recommends that operators use 10 degrees C (50 degrees F), which comprises 95 percent of domestic refrigerators, as a benchmark for studying the shelf life of food with regard to the risk of listeriosis and other pathogenic bacteria. This new value is included in the technical guidance document for plank -lifetime studies for food producers to simulate the reasonably provided storage conditions in domestic refrigerators.
Anses said that this reference temperature for manufacturers should not be interpreted by consumers as advice to increase the temperature of their refrigerator. The lower the storage temperature of the food storage, the slower the growth of microorganisms and the lower the risk of infection. A temperature under 4 degrees C (39.2 degrees F) stops the growth of the majority of pathogens, in particular Salmonella, an important source of diseases transferred by food in Europe.
Plants pick advice
Anses has also warned the risk of confusion between edible and toxic plants.
Anses and poison control centers repeated a warning for intoxication linked to the consumption of autumn croquse, which was confused with wild garlic. Between 2020 and 2022, 28 cases and two deaths took place due to the autumn croquette poisoning.
Poisons took place between March and May, mainly in the regions Grand Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Half of the affected people used the leaves to make a pesto sauce. The other half had eaten, baked or used in a quiche in salads.
Some people had long -term symptoms such as persistent diarrhea or vomiting and four people showed serious, life -threatening symptoms, including acute digestion, liver and hematological disorders. The severity of poisoning depends on the amount of leaves taken, the concentration of colchicin in the plant and whether it is in combination with certain common medicines.
The flowers of autumn croquse, which differ from that of wild garlic or leek, only appear in the fall, wild and lots of garlic flowers. Autumn crobles are stiffer and stemless and the lamp is round and dark. Wild garlic is an edible wild plant, 15 to 40 cm high when they are mature. The star -shaped flowers and elongated lamp are both white.
Recommendations include checking that each sheet has a garlic scent when rubbing; Avoid collecting different types of plants together, since toxic species can be mixed with edible species and take photos of picked plants for easier identification in the case of poisoning.
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