In recent years, many people believe that vacuum sealing helps to preserve food better by avoiding air. Therefore, many people vacuum seal their food before shipping or storing it in the refrigerator.
Is vacuum sealing really safe? Many ready-to-eat food sellers advertise vacuum sealing as a modern standout in the preservation and transportation process. It is considered a safer alternative to regular air-filled packaging.
Many households also practice vacuum sealing before storing their food.
Is vacuum sealing really safe?
However, according to Dr. Vu Thi Tan, a lecturer at the Hanoi University of Technology, incorrect vacuum sealing without proper sterilization can lead to the growth of dangerous bacteria in the oxygen-free environment, causing harm to health and even death if heavily infected.
In an oxygen-free environment, there is an extremely harmful bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium produces the botulinum toxin which can cause severe poisoning and death. An oxygen-free environment, such as vacuum sealing, is not completely safe as we might think. When food like vegetables, fruits, meats, and seafood are vacuum-sealed, they may become susceptible to Clostridium botulinum contamination and botulinum toxin formation.
Vacuum sealing does not guarantee safety, especially if the food is not properly cleaned or if the food is already spoiled. These situations increase the risk of food poisoning. Even if sellers process their products at home, in an environment with many contaminants, and handle undercooked or unclean food, the risk of bacterial contamination in the vacuum-sealed bags is heightened.
To avoid deadly food poisoning, remember this
In Vietnam, there have been cases of botulinum poisoning from consuming canned food that required dangerous and costly blood filtering hospitalization. Botulinum antitoxin is not always readily available and must be administered within 72 hours to save lives. Therefore, botulinum poisoning is extremely dangerous.
According to food safety regulations, the testing for botulinum is considered a mandatory requirement before food is released to the market. This emphasizes the importance of safety concerning botulinum.
Therefore, do not idolize vacuum sealing, especially with ready-to-eat food. To avoid the risk of food poisoning, vacuum-sealed or canned food should be exposed to oxygen or heated before consumption. This is because the bacteria will gradually die in an oxygenated and heated environment.
For raw seafood, it is recommended to take them out of the vacuum-sealed bag before thawing since the cold temperature inside the fish can allow botulinum to survive and grow. Once the fish is removed from the packaging and exposed to oxygen, the toxin will be prevented from forming.
Certain types of food should not be vacuum-sealed, such as raw onions, fresh mushrooms, or fresh garlic to avoid botulinum toxin.
Before vacuum-sealing food, make sure they are properly cleaned. Also, avoid consuming the food immediately after opening the vacuum-sealed bag to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination in the vacuum-sealed environment.
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