Stop stuffing everything in the fridge!

The weather is getting warmer and warmer. Many people are used to putting food in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. But is that really safe? In recent days, Ms. Zhou, a 68-year-old citizen of Zhenjiang, has always felt abdominal distension, nausea and weakness. She went to the hospital to check that she was infected with Listeria. Wei Zhenping, director of food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Zhenjiang CDC, introduced that many people are very unfamiliar with Listeria, but in fact, it is very close to our lives and often hides in the refrigerator, so it is also called the "refrigerator killer": "Listeria is a Gram-positive bacteria, it is a genus of bacteria. There are eight species of this genus. Among the eight, Listeria monocytogenes is the most common pathogen that causes us to eat food. It has a characteristic, especially suitable for survival in low temperature conditions. So we ordinary people should have an idea that refrigerators are not safe boxes."

Wei Zhenping told reporters that Listeria is widely distributed in nature, such as soil, water, vegetables, fish, poultry and food production, processing, preservation and other links,  but not everyone will be infected. Data show that pregnant women are 20 times more likely to be infected with Listeria than ordinary people. Once infected, the consequences may be very serious, leading to abortion and neonatal sepsis, meningitis and other diseases, or even death. Food, such as milk and dairy products, meat, vegetables, seafood and ice cream, is the main carrier of Listeria.

So it is very necessary to prevent Listeria from possibly existing in food: "We bought all kinds of raw and cooked things from the outside, and when we take them home, first of all, you have to go through preliminary treatment to make it relatively sanitary. Another is that the food should be stored at low temperatures, so the raw and cooked food in your refrigerator can be separated to avoid cross-contamination between them. We advise consumers to choose small packages when you buy these foods, eat them all at once after they are unpacked, and try not to put them away for a long time so as to reduce the chance of contamination. In other words, food should be heated thoroughly before it is eaten.

In addition to its low temperature resistance, Listeria has another weakness, that is, its acid resistance. Therefore, when we eat some takeaway cooked vegetables, we might as well dip a little vinegar, which can play a role in sterilization.