Dietitian Melisa Karataş warned not to consume canned food with broken, scratched or swollen lids. Karataş said, “Individuals usually canned the vegetables and fruits they buy in the summer to consume them in the winter. The botulism bacteria that grows in canned food can be deadly,” he said.
Providing information about canned food poisoning, Medical Park Ordu Hospital Nutrition and Diet Department Dyt. Melisa Karataş, “There are 446 botulinum poisonings between 2015-2017 in Turkey. The scary thing is that 36 of these 446 patients died. The fact that many of the patients who lost their lives were exposed to botulinum bacteria was due to the fact that they consumed the broken, scratched or swollen cans.
IF IN DOUBT, DO NOT TASTE
Underlining that according to the data of the Ministry, patients with food poisoning mostly consume the canned food they have prepared, Dyt said. Melisa Karataş stated that there are points that we all need to carefully control as consumers in order not to experience botulinum poisoning and said: “The first control should start with the lid of the can. If there is swelling or cambering on the lid, this indicates that the bacteria called clostridium botulinum has grown and should never be consumed. The expiry date of the can should be checked and it should be checked whether the necessary permits have been obtained. Even if there is no problem on the lid of the can prepared at home, bacteria can still occur. The metal lids used in the production of canned food at home must be checked for rust both during the preparation of the can and before consumption. If the lid is leaky, moldy or rusty, we should definitely not even taste this can. If there is a change in color, smell or smell when you open the lid, do not consume this can. Most importantly, whether you have prepared it yourself or bought it from the market, if you are in doubt about your can, never even taste it.”
THE BEST METHOD TO STORE IN THE FREEZER
Expressing that there is no problem in the consumption of canned food that is produced and stored under appropriate conditions, Karataş said, “It is not a bad practice to canned vegetables and fruits in order to consume them while preserving their seasonal vitamin and mineral values, or to buy them from markets, but it is not a bad practice to use the heat treatment applied to fruits and vegetables in canning. “We should not forget the fact that it loses its value by 30 percent. The fact that properly frozen products have higher vitamin and mineral values than canned products shows that the best way to consume summer products is to store them in the deep freezer. For this reason, you can prefer the deep freezing method to canned consumption,” he said.
CAN RESULT IN DEATH IF NOT TIMELY RESPONSE
Emphasizing that the consumption of canned food containing botulinum bacteria, rapid and sudden neurological complaints occur, Dyt. Melisa Karataş, “Symptoms can be seen between 12 and 72 hours. These appear as blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and progressive loss of muscle strength. The course of the disease, which progresses in a short time, can go up to coma and paralysis. In cases that are not intervened in time, this picture may cause permanent damage to the nervous system or It can result in death. If you observe these complaints in yourself or your relatives after consuming canned foods, you should immediately apply to the nearest health center instead of saying that it will go away when you rest,” he concluded.
(UAV)