Don't wait for the food to cool before putting it in the refrigerator. Be sure to take advantage of the heat!!!

According to popular science in China, whether cooking at home or dining out, it is inevitable to have leftover food. If you want to have a "CD", you will have a stomach upset, and if you pack it the next day, you will worry about not being healthy

According to popular science in China, whether cooking at home or dining out, it is inevitable to have leftover food. If you want to have a "CD", you will have a stomach upset, and if you pack it the next day, you will worry about not being healthy.

The question of whether overnight food is safe has always been debated, whether overnight food can be eaten or not? What can be eaten the next day? How to store endless food? Let's get to know each other today

Copyright images in the library, reprinting and use may cause copyright disputes

01

Can I eat food overnight?

Generally speaking, all overnight foods are collectively referred to as overnight meals or overnight dishes, but from a scientific perspective, regardless of whether it is overnight or from morning to evening, food that exceeds 8-10 hours is considered an overnight dish. Whether overnight vegetables can be eaten depends not on whether they are refrigerated or stored for a long time, but on whether they have deteriorated or produced harmful substances during the storage process. In other words, there are two potential safety problems of overnight food: one is microbial reproduction, which leads to Food spoilage; Second, nitrite content increases during storage, which may lead to poisoning and cancer risk. The air is filled with microorganisms, and food exposed to it will inevitably be used as a hotbed by them. If left at room temperature for a long time, microorganisms have a suitable environment and temperature, reproduce quickly, and food is prone to spoilage. But as long as the food that cannot be eaten is promptly placed in the refrigerator for refrigeration, it can inhibit the growth of bacteria and greatly slow down the rate of spoilage.

Many people are more worried about the increase of nitrite content caused by food stored for a long time, which is not conducive to health. However, nitrite itself does not cause cancer. It will react with protein decomposition products to produce carcinogenic Nitrosamine, which may cause cancer risk if taken in large quantities for a long time. However, food hazard cannot talk about toxicity without considering the dose. Nitrite widely exists in various natural substances. In fact, only a large amount of nitrite ingested in a short time can cause acute poisoning, dizziness and vomiting, and even coma and death in serious cases. No matter meat, eggs or vegetables, the average content of nitrite is 3-5 mg/kg.

According to the Chinese Journal of Preventive healthcare, the poisoning dose of oral nitrite for adults is at least 300mg~500mg, and only 1~3g can cause death. However, the nitrite content of overnight meals (excluding pickled food) stored for 24 hours in cold storage generally does not exceed 10mg/kg, which is far from the toxic dose. As long as they do not deteriorate, it is no problem to eat overnight meals occasionally.

Copyright images in the library, reprinting and use may cause copyright disputes

In addition, nitrite is also an internationally recognized food preservative. If it is added within the standard range, it will not cause harm to the body. However, it should be noted that during major holidays such as the Spring Festival, when some families eat a single dish for many days, the above explanation for overnight dishes is not applicable. The harm of overnight dishes must be based on proper storage, and the storage time should not be too long in order to be ignored.

02

Scientific storage of overnight vegetables

It is sometimes difficult to tell whether the overnight dishes are spoiled with the naked eye and taste, especially the nitrite content. So, how to ensure the safety of overnight dishes? The key lies in storage. If stored improperly, it may also deteriorate in a short period of time. Whether overnight dishes can be consumed twice depends on the following three aspects:

3. Secondary consumption method: For secondary consumption of overnight vegetables, it is necessary to heat them thoroughly. Soup needs to be heated and boiled for more than 3 minutes, and meat needs to reach 10 minutes to kill bacteria. As for some cold dishes and braised dishes, it is not recommended to "stay overnight" and try to eat them all in one meal. If you cannot finish them, you cannot bear to throw them away. Although the taste may be greatly reduced, you still need to heat them until they are cooked before eating. In general, as long as the food is properly stored, it will not deteriorate, and the nitrite produced will also cause poisoning in a very small probability. Overnight meals are edible, but the taste of the overnight meals is not as good as that of fresh food, and the nutritional value is also lost. Therefore, it is recommended to eat and cook now rather than eat overnight meals frequently.

Copyright images in the library, reprinting and use may cause copyright disputes

03

What foods are not recommended to be stored overnight?

A refrigerator can protect overnight food from spoilage, but not all food is safe, and some foods are not suitable for overnight storage. Let's take a closer look at the following:

1. There is an old saying about green leafy vegetables: "It is better to leave meat than vegetables." Compared with fruits, meat and eggs, green leafy vegetables have higher nitrate content, which will produce more nitrite after being cooked and placed, which is not conducive to health. After reheating the vegetables overnight, the taste becomes worse. If it is beans or tubers, they can be stored appropriately, but not more than 8 hours.

2. Soup, after prolonged stewing, is rich in nutrients and can be considered a "greenhouse" for bacteria at room temperature, easily breeding a large number of bacteria. The leftover soup is put in a stainless steel or aluminum pot, which is likely to react and cause harmful substances to separate out. It is recommended to separately take out the amount of the boiled soup for the day, and put the remaining soup in glass or ceramic containers, refrigerate or freeze in the refrigerator.

3. Aquatic products and cold dishes are rich in protein, which can be easily broken down by microorganisms overnight, damaging the liver and kidneys of the human body. If it is pickled, you can take some as needed and eat it to reduce chopstick flipping.

Copyright images in the library, reprinting and use may cause copyright disputes

4. More and more people are fond of eating sterile "soft boiled eggs", but these semi cooked eggs are not truly sterile. In addition, they are rich in nutrients and can easily cause various bacterial infections, leading to gastrointestinal discomfort and other symptoms after consumption. If it is a fully cooked egg, it can be stored at low temperature. Seeing this, I believe I have a deep understanding of food storage. The weather is hot and food is prone to spoilage. Everyone should pay more attention to food safety. If you cannot finish eating, please put it in the refrigerator as soon as possible and consume it as soon as possible

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])