Microbiological Risks in Precooked Meals

Especially the increase observed in the consumption of ready meals in recent years has caused the diversification of our tables in this field. Foodstuffs that have been cooked after being subjected to various preparation steps or which are directly supplied to consumption without cooking are called pre-cooked meals. There are some points to be considered when buying appetizer-derived foodstuffs that are offered for sale in delicatessens and markets in terms of microbiological properties.

Foods such as appetizers can be collected in two groups.

After cooking, they are available for sale:
Kadınbudu Köfte, İçli Köfte, Dolma, Albanian Gras, Sausage Sauté, Pastry etc.

Uncooked:
Haydari, Yoghurt with Carrot, Hot Paste, Kisir, Raw Meatball and other salads.

The degradation, souring or alteration of the foodstuffs occurs through microorganisms.

Unless sterile, microorganisms are present in each foodstuff, more or less depending on the properties of the food. Naturally, untreated food raw materials that have not undergone any heat treatment will have beneficial or harmful microorganisms. Examples include raw meat, fruit and vegetables. Such foodstuffs are called primary pollutants to microorganisms found due to natural environments. Food raw materials undergo various preparation and cooking stages until they are consumed. After the cooking process, the growth activities of all or most of the microorganisms in the foodstuff are stopped. However, microorganisms from personnel or equipment are often called secondary pollutants during portioning, trimming or transporting of foodstuffs after cooking.

The degradation of foodstuffs that are put on the market after cooking is caused by sourness or gastrointestinal (digestive) disorders, low operating hygienic conditions and microorganisms passing through secondary pollutants such as personnel and equipment.

Primary and secondary pollutants are found together in foodstuffs that are put on sale after cooking and through various preparation stages. The number of microorganisms is controlled by washing the fruits, vegetables and salads that need to be consumed raw and using disinfectant during washing. However, the use of disinfectant is a problem especially in salads. Coliform bacteria are commonly found in such foodstuffs.

In this case, a healthy-looking meal with visual or taste controls can cause food poisoning or infection. As a consumer, this is the healthiest way for us to make a purchase by observing the general hygienic status of the place of sale.