How party food may be exposed to bacteria

Birthday party food like spaghetti and barbecue are among favorites during parties. But a health expert warned that these are potentially hazardous, especially to children.

Take for example Faye, a child who experienced stomachache and vomiting after eating spaghetti in a birthday party. "'Yung spaghetti po, 'yon 'yun nakain ko po doon. Wala naman po akong ibang kinain," Faye told her mother Marafe Trance.

"Dahil ang barbecue, spaghetti, tinatawag nating potentially hazardous food," said Dr. Benigno Glenn Ricaforte, president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology, Inc.

This is possibly because the kitchen tools used for preparing these food are contaminated with harmful bacteria. In addition, bacteria such as clostridum perfringes and campylobacter may be present in improperly cooked food like barbecue. 

The threat of food contamination is not to be taken lightly. According to the World Health Organization, one in 10 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food and 420,000 die as a result.

To avoid food poisoning, it is advisable to cook food properly while Ricaforte urges people to disinfect kitchen tools with an antibacterial dishwashing liquid.

"Kinakailangan nating gumamit ng antibacterial dishwashing liquid," Ricaforte said.