第3008期:Keeping leftovers safe

Overpriced shop-bought sandwiches, underwhelming food from your work canteen or pricey local restaurants. If those are the alternatives, then it's unsurprising that many of us think leftovers make the perfect lunch. Leftovers are a good way to cut down on food waste. If you've cooked them yourself, then you can be sure what all the ingredients are and where they've come from. But how safe are leftovers? Could there be a danger lurking in your lunchbox?

商店购买的三明治价格过高，工作食堂或当地昂贵餐馆的食物平淡无奇。 如果这些都是替代方案，那么我们中的许多人认为剩菜是完美的午餐就不足为奇了。 剩菜剩饭是减少食物浪费的好方法。 如果您自己煮过它们，那么您可以确定所有成分是什么以及它们来自哪里。 但剩菜有多安全呢？ 你的午餐盒里是否潜藏着危险？

It's not just you that loves your leftovers. The BBC's Trust Me, I'm a Doctor programme tells us that they are also great for bacteria like listeria, salmonella and campylobacter. They can nourish themselves on the food we love and multiply incredibly quickly. One campylobacter bacterium can multiply to 70,000 million bacteria in just 12 hours. Food poisoning caused by these bacteria usually makes people mildly unwell but can also cause more serious life-threatening illnesses. What do we need to think about to keep our leftovers safe?

不只是你喜欢吃剩菜。 BBC 的“相信我，我是医生”节目告诉我们，它们对于李斯特菌、沙门氏菌和弯曲杆菌等细菌也很有用。 它们可以靠我们喜爱的食物来滋养自己，并以惊人的速度繁殖。 一个弯曲杆菌可以在短短 12 小时内繁殖到 700 亿个细菌。 这些细菌引起的食物中毒通常会使人出现轻微不适，但也可能导致更严重的危及生命的疾病。 为了保证剩菜的安全，我们需要考虑什么？

Temperature control is important to stop bacteria growing on your food. Food safety experts warn of a danger zone between 8C and 63C. At these temperatures bacteria can grow easily on your leftover food. Refrigerating your leftovers slows bacteria growth, and this is why experts recommend putting your leftover food in the fridge within two hours. You should also cover any food in the refrigerator because air can contain contaminants, and also, many pathogens need oxygen to grow. However, do remember that fridges only slow bacteria growth, not stop it, so most leftovers should only be left in the fridge for two days.

温度控制对于阻止细菌在食物上生长非常重要。 食品安全专家警告说，8 摄氏度至 63 摄氏度之间存在危险区域。 在这样的温度下，细菌很容易在剩下的食物上生长。 冷藏剩菜可以减缓细菌的生长，这就是为什么专家建议在两小时内将剩菜放入冰箱的原因。 您还应该盖住冰箱中的所有食物，因为空气中可能含有污染物，而且许多病原体需要氧气才能生长。 但是，请记住，冰箱只能减缓细菌的生长，而不能阻止细菌的生长，因此大多数剩菜只能在冰箱中保存两天。

Temperature is also important if you are reheating leftovers. Instructions often recommend heating food until it's piping hot or steaming hot throughout. Clinical microbiology lecturer Primrose Freestone recommends that ovens are set to at least 163C and that food's internal temperature should reach at least 74C. Other experts tell us that food heated in the microwave should be stirred halfway through the process so that it's cooked all the way through.

如果您要重新加热剩菜，温度也很重要。 说明书通常建议加热食物，直到整个食物变得滚烫或热气腾腾。 临床微生物学讲师Primrose Freestone建议烤箱温度至少设置为163摄氏度，食物内部温度至少应达到74摄氏度。 其他专家告诉我们，用微波炉加热的食物应该在过程中途搅拌，以便完全煮熟。

Leftovers can be an economical way to cut down on food waste. However, it's important that we store and reheat food carefully to make sure that it stays safe to eat.

剩菜是减少食物浪费的一种经济方法。 然而，重要的是我们要小心储存和重新加热食物，以确保其食用安全。