Health-threatening germs in salads and herbs found

Antibiotic-resistant germs: raw food and salad always wash thoroughly

Healthy salads are an important part of a balanced diet. But you should be before consumption is always well-washed and ideally freshly prepared. In the case of pre-cut products from the supermarket, be careful. Because pathogens or antibiotic-resistant bacteria are partially.

Natural Food

Raw food is the Trend. Because the uncooked method of preparation of food, such as salads or sprouts remain natural, and therefore heat destroys sensitive vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes. However, you may frolic in such products, but also health-threatening germs, experts warn.

For the consumption of pre-cut and foil-salads from the supermarket packaged may contain pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. (Image: karepa/fotolia.com)

Germs are not inactivated

As the Federal Institute for risk assessment (BfR) reported in a current opinion, may include the consumption of pre-cut and foil-packaged salads, fresh herbs or sprouts health-threatening germs.

According to the experts, in spite of precautionary measures, from the cultivation to the sale of pathogens or antibiotics are detected resistant bacteria in low numbers on fresh produce.

While this is less the case than, for example, in the case of meat, but through the Use of lettuce and fresh herbs, the bacteria are not inactivated previously by Frying or cooking.

Pathogens causing diarrhea in focus

The BfR has evaluated the latest results from research and monitoring of food products to the transfer of resistance to antibiotics when eating plant-based fresh products.

The assessment refers to a study by the Julius-Kühn Institute (JKI), which was published a few months ago in a joint press release of the JKI and BfR already.

The focus of Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli), usually harmless Intestinal bacteria, the occurrence of widespread and in some salad, arugula and fresh coriander from the retail sector were detected.

This of coli bacteria has numerous disease-causing strains and is a frequent cause of diseases associated with diarrhea, abdominal cramps, Nausea, and vomiting.

Especially infants, young children, the elderly, and people with a weakened immune system may develop more severe disease with bloody diarrhea.

According to health experts at five to ten percent of Patients, particularly in children of preschool age, in the intestinal discomfort (about a week after the start of diarrhea) is a severe disease.

Resistance properties can be passed on

In the investigations of the JKI has been shown that the E. coli bacteria are resistant to several antibiotics such as Tetracycline, Penizillinen as well as cephalosporins.

Even with rohverzehrtem salad can be, in itself, harmless, bacteria resistance properties in the human intestine, there may be common pathogenic bacteria.

According to the experts, it is not possible to predict the extent to which the Use a person absorbs permanently resistant E. coli.

However, it is assumed that treatment with Antibiotics at the time of the recording of the bacteria could help with the salad.

Recorded resistant bacteria could also be the reason, if one of the following infectious disease antibiotic therapy fails.

Certain people should refrain from eating it
The BfR recommends to consumers to wash the inside and consumers, raw vegetables and leaf salads and fresh herbs before eating always rinse thoroughly with drinking water, the risk of exposure to pathogens or to minimize antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

As the experts explain, some of the germs in the moist and nutrient-rich salad is a Milieu ready-to-eat Mixed-packs in spite of cooling still continue to multiply, so that in the case of particularly sensitive groups of people, a slightly higher, but still low risk of the disease.

“Therefore, Pregnant women and people with weakened immunity due to old age, pre-existing medical conditions or taking medication should avoid, to protect against food-borne infections to the consumption of pre-cut and packaged salads, as a precaution, and instead of salads from fresh and thoroughly washed ingredients just before eating to cook for themselves,” writes the BfR.

And: “By the Washing of the plant food may be present pathogens, or antibiotics-resistant bacteria is not safe to remove.”

In rare individual cases, it is therefore necessary that especially people with weakened immune system of heating, in accordance with the instructions of their Doctors vegetables and fresh herbs before eating is sufficient (at least two minutes at 70 °C in the Interior of the food). (ad)