Food Temperatures,Are They Safe

[terrychris]

Didnt know which forum to write this in,

Just watched a a tv program on buying food from takeaway places.

According to the tv reporter who was carrying a thermometer aroundd with him,hot food should be over 60 degrees and cold food under 5 degrees.

Does anyone with food experience agree with this.

They measured the temparature of sushi they had just bought and it was 23 degrees ,apparently unsafe to eat.according to them.

Also do restaurants workers,takeaway food handlers in Thailand haveto go for any compulsyy food handling courses,i thought i recalled pattaya city council had one such education courses.

I know in mo st Western Countries a food safety course is mandatory for food business's.

Edited July 10, 2011 by terrychris

[sotsira]

Depending what meat also determines the safe min temp required

as a general rule 80c internal temp is safe from any bacterial content.

Chicken is the most dangerous followed by pork then beef.

I would not think that any food handlers or cooks in Thailand would have any

compulsory courses to attend though, as in the western world.

Just what they've learned from their training at work.

[bkkjames]

Ever see/hear a local "not" complain about upset gut a few hours after eat somtam + the fermented fish crap, yet they continue to eat every chance they get-amazing.

[Richb2004v2]

Whats safety got to do with anything? This is Thailand we're talking about.

[7by7]

In over 10 years of visiting Thailand and regularly buying food from street stalls and small cafés etc; I have only been ill twice.

Both times it was after eating in an expensive, so-called 'high class' restaurant!

[vpi78]

ha ha this is hilarious. Does e Op really believe street vendors are trained in anything much less food safety?

[TheWalkingMan]

Sushi... I have seen those sushi stands inside some of the malls and they do not look healthy at all. Those carts I would not eat from for fear of getting sick.

TheWalkingMan

[KarenBravo]

Funny how humans have survived many millenia without food hygiene rules.

[Jingthing]

Funny how humans have survived many millenia without food hygiene rules.

You do realize the logic flaw here? The species yes, it's a concern, but most of us are more directly concerned for our own asses and those we care about.

[h90]

It is not safe! But normaly it doesn't cause problems.

In few cases people get problems, but rarely more than 1-2 days.

But of course there are cases in which people die.

It is like the driving: Of course Thai buses don't drive safe....but still you don't die going with them.

But it happens

[SteveLynch]

it amazes me how many people dont take food hygiene seriously

as a generation we have become dependent om mecidines and antibiotis .yes in years passed cooked foods could be left out and eaten in the morning

but these are the produce we eat anymore so the food was fresh super fresh when we got it

this was before our man altered vegetables /steriod induced chickens /monster sized pigs ,we pump our food with such lethal poisions then as our own immune systems have begun to shut down we are wreakless with what we put in our system

food poisioning is very real and many of us get it in mild forms every year we just dont diagnoise what it is

wait untill you get Ecoli from that dodgey burger stall ,or Staphylococcus from the somtaM lady picking her nose

chilled foods should be kept at 5 deg c or lower /high risks food ie pasta /rice should be cooked to a core temp of 72deg a t least reheating of same should be a core temp of 80 deg

you will know when it burns your lip when you put it in your mouth

if you need more info google HACCP its a world wide standard for maintining a food safe envrioment in food industry

yes its all a bit sterile but with the way way the world has become mabye next time your kid is feeling ill or sickly let them out in to the fresh air and put the immune system pounding panadol away

mabye then they might get to enjoy "yesterdays pizza "coldcuts"and all the grerasy cold dripping i used to spread on my toast from sundays dinner

[happyrobert]

I have eaten sushi for almost 50 years, in Japan and major American cities. I have yet to find a sushi bar in BKK where I will eat -- I simply won't eat sushi not made by anyone formally trained -- and that takes years, it's not only an art aesthetically, it's an art in preparing it without danger to the consumer. Funniest thing I saw was a Mexican in a San Antonio Benihana's trying to make sushi. Must have been his first day. Cyaaa!

They actually have something resembling it at the local markets--we're talking the once a week market with dirt floors ( a women in BKK started giving classes a few years back and helped people set up businesses). It sits in the heat for hours and who knows where the hell it has been, no refrigeration; raw fish?--I walk a wide circle around it but the locals are enamored.

Seems I've seen more smoke coming out of the stack lately.

[MrsMills]

In over 10 years of visiting Thailand and regularly buying food from street stalls and small cafés etc; I have only been ill twice.

Both times it was after eating in an expensive, so-called 'high class' restaurant!

I have lived here for 20 years and never been sick, not one time.

I'm careful, but not that careful, maybe the Alcohol kills all known germs ?

[vpi78]

In over 10 years of visiting Thailand and regularly buying food from street stalls and small cafés etc; I have only been ill twice.

Both times it was after eating in an expensive, so-called 'high class' restaurant!

I have lived here for 20 years and never been sick, not one time.

I'm careful, but not that careful, maybe the Alcohol kills all known germs ?

Your time is coming and when it does it won't be pretty. It is best to reduce your risks whenever you can. I had a mate that almost died from dehydration by the time we got him from his hotel where he began throwing up until we got him to the hospital emergency ward. Part of that was Bangkok traffic but the biggest part was the violent spasms as he basically tried to cough out his intestines while evacuating them simultaneously from the other end.

Yeah that could have happened in the west too but we don't generally eat much street food in the west other than the odd hot dog. But each to is/her own.

[MrsMills]

Your time is coming and when it does it won't be pretty.

Maybe I'm immune, I dunno, but in 20 years, the truth, no problems for me.

Anyway, you take care of yourself, food poisoning is no joke so I'm told. I take care too, but not much, maybe I've been lucky.

[vpi78]

Your time is coming and when it does it won't be pretty.

Maybe I'm immune, I dunno, but in 20 years, the truth, no problems for me.

Anyway, you take care of yourself, food poisoning is no joke so I'm told. I take care too, but not much, maybe I've been lucky.

And continued good luck to you. As far as I know there is no immunity to every strain of eColi and the crap (pun intended) naturally occurs in soils.

[MrsMills]

Your time is coming and when it does it won't be pretty.

Maybe I'm immune, I dunno, but in 20 years, the truth, no problems for me.

Anyway, you take care of yourself, food poisoning is no joke so I'm told. I take care too, but not much, maybe I've been lucky.

And continued good luck to you. As far as I know there is no immunity to every strain of eColi and the crap (pun intended) naturally occurs in soils.

You've got me thinking, I'm a Farang who has never had any food poisoning at all in over 20 years in Thailand, I have never been sick, never been to a hospital etc etc, maybe I have some kind of super gene in my body, I doubt it, but maybe.

Then again, if you read this forum, most Farangs are grossly unhappy in Thailand and all Thais are wrong and all Farangs are good and right and why can't the Thais be more like us................Us, yes Us, people like us, people like us that have created a fiscal nightmare in our home countries, people like us, people like us that drove us away from our home countries, people like us, we stay in Thailand to get away from people like us.

I'll take my chances here.

I'm off to Nang Kee on Pattaya klang................

Edited July 10, 2011 by MrsMills

[Forethat]

Funny how humans have survived many millenia without food hygiene rules.

You do realize the logic flaw here? The species yes, it's a concern, but most of us are more directly concerned for our own asses and those we care about.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but I see a slight humour in the fact that this comment came from you.

And, yes, I agree.

Edited July 10, 2011 by Forethat

[MrsMills]

Funny how humans have survived many millenia without food hygiene rules.

You do realize the logic flaw here? The species yes, it's a concern, but most of us are more directly concerned for our own asses and those we care about.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but I see a slight humour in the fact that this comment came from you.

Respect !!! LOL

Nice one, jeez mate, quick for a weekend.

I just read it again, its hilarious. TY Forethat.

Edited July 10, 2011 by MrsMills

[Nawtier]

Food hygiene in a country that wipes its arse with its fingers still.......

[MrsMills]

Food hygiene in a country that wipes its arse with its fingers still.......

Is that what you do, and your wife , she does that also ? wow......................amazing.

I don't, my Wife don't and that goes for all of the family too.

Jeez mate, where on earth did you meet the Thai people who influenced you so much ?

Edited July 10, 2011 by MrsMills

[Forethat]

On a more serious point of view; from a global perspective, Thailand suffers from one of the highest rates of food poisoning in the world. Judging from some of the research, it is only the fact that most street vendors uses a wok with which they heat up the food to a very high temperature, effectively burning off a majority of the bacteria, that prevents even greater problems.

Personally, I lived in LOS almost one year before suffering my first strike. To my great surprise, it wasn't street food, but Pizza Hut.

[Richb2004v2]

Funny how humans have survived many millenia without food hygiene rules.

You do realize the logic flaw here? The species yes, it's a concern, but most of us are more directly concerned for our own asses and those we care about.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but I see a slight humour in the fact that this comment came from you.

And, yes, I agree.

Oh dear. That's terrible. But very funny.

[Forethat]

Funny how humans have survived many millenia without food hygiene rules.

You do realize the logic flaw here? The species yes, it's a concern, but most of us are more directly concerned for our own asses and those we care about.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but I see a slight humour in the fact that this comment came from you.

And, yes, I agree.

Oh dear. That's terrible. But very funny.

Actually, JT is one of the posters on here I respect fully.

I am sure he'll take it as a man.

[meatboy]

food hygiene in certain fast food joints is a non starter,mrs meat was a catering supervisor for 15years in the uk with three diff.grades of hygiene certificates,last dec.we ordered 3pork steaks at one of the joints in the mall,2 arrived and on inspection where still frozen in the middle,my wife called the waiter showed her the meat and she just stood there as if she had been struck by lightning,then one of the senior staff came and asked what the problem was,the wife showed her the meat and asked how was it cooked in an oven was the reply,not so said the wife you mean a microwave a nod of the head was the answer,by this time all the staff had garthered behind the counter to see what was going on,just like a traffic acc.the 2 dishes were sent back and arrived back again they were still not cooked through,in the meantime my wife asked where was her order,reply from the staff member my wife had confused the waiter,but the best was kept till last when my wifes steak arrived it to was still frozen in the middle,never to go back there again or we did pay the bill.in almost 30years i have never been ill but i am always vigelant.

[daoyai]

Traditional tropical foods are resistent to bacterial growth at ambient temperature from being dried, salty or acidic. Or freshly cooked at high heat. Sushi or rare burgers will get you.

Edited July 11, 2011 by daoyai

[WebBangkok]

I have been here 2 1/2 years and only got sick about 3 weeks ago.

I had KFC and 3 hours later I was on the toilet and throwing up and felt like I was going to die. I will never eat KFC again. The last time I was sick was back in SYdney, yeap it was from KFC too.

Killer <deleted> Chicken

[Travel2003]

ha ha this is hilarious. Does e Op really believe street vendors are trained in anything much less food safety?

I think OP asked the question, he didnt say they were.

Read again.

[NancyL]

All the Japanese people I know here in Chiang Mai won't eat the local sushi. That should tell you something.

When I eat street food or food from a mall food court, I always order something that's cooked-to-order in a searing wok, like khao pad or pad thai. Never had any problems. Hubby has problems quite frequently, but he'll order stuff that's already cooked and sitting around like satay sticks or concoctions they ladle over rice.

Edited July 11, 2011 by NancyL

[meatboy]

i think us that live here are more aware,it is the tourists that are more at risk because vendors dont care enough they think here today gone tomorrow,with the world wide web i am afraid thailand is getting more than its full share of publicity,but as one thai official told me let it happen first.