As the rainy season begins in earnest, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has called for special attention to personal hygiene and food ingredient management to prevent food poisoning. The warning comes as food poisoning has occurred most frequently in July over the past five years, and higher-than-average temperatures and heavy rainfall are expected again this year, which could increase the risk.
The ministry said Thursday that bacteria and mold multiply rapidly in hot and humid conditions, and the likelihood of food poisoning rises through crops or food submerged by heavy rainfall. The Korea Meteorological Administration had earlier forecast that average temperatures and precipitation this July would be higher than usual.
The ministry stressed that hygiene management is important throughout the entire process during the rainy season, from storing ingredients to cooking and eating. Personal hygiene rules should be strictly followed, including washing hands with soap under running water for at least 30 seconds before eating, before cooking, and after using the restroom.
Managing ingredients is also important. Nuts are prone to mold from moisture, so they should be sealed and stored in a refrigerator or freezer, while grains and legumes should also be sealed and kept in a dry place. Food that has been submerged or is suspected of being submerged, or food suspected of spoiling because proper storage temperature could not be maintained due to power outages, should not be eaten and should be discarded.
Vegetables are recommended to be soaked in chlorine disinfectant solution (100ppm) for at least five minutes, then washed thoroughly at least three times with tap water before eating. Washed vegetables should not be left at room temperature for long and should be eaten as soon as possible or cooked, and refrigerated if not eaten immediately. Fruits such as watermelon, Korean melon, and peaches should also be washed on the surface with a cleaning agent designed for fruits and vegetables, then rinsed thoroughly before eating.
The ministry also urged that knives and cutting boards be disinfected with boiling water and used separately by ingredient type to prevent cross-contamination. Fish and raw chicken should be prepared last, and after cooking, cooking facilities such as sinks must also be washed and disinfected. It stressed that cooked food should be eaten immediately when possible, and refrigerated food should be sufficiently reheated before eating.
