The death of a woman in Rome, which took place last October and connected to the consumption of a velvety to artichokes, turned on the spotlight on the safety of the refrigerated ready dishes.
Following the tragedy, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Superior Institute of Health (ISS), highlighted that the indications heating shown on the packaging of these soups-on average 3-5 minutes in the microwave-are insufficient To eliminate the botulinum risk.
We talked about it here: the mistake you never have to make when you heat a ready soup
The Ministry then introduced a new recommendation: boil the products for at least 5 minutes before consumption. But maybe even those are not enough.
An investigation conducted by The life jacketin fact, published in the number currently on newsstands and digitally, he showed that this is not enough. To ensure the achievement of boiling, the actual heating time varies from 7 to 11 minutes, depending on the composition of the product. Consequently, to respect the ministerial recommendation, Ready soups must be heated at least 12 to 16 minutes.
The tests conducted by The life jacket They tested these times on several soup references. The result? The microwavewith these parameters, is not suitable: The soups are dry, not very appetizing And, in some cases, almost immaid.
The investigation
The analyzes highlighted several weaknesses in the supply chain and in the preparation of refrigerated ready -made soups (technically called Repfreds – Refrigerated Procedsed Food With Extended Durability):
- not sufficient cold chain: the ISS has noted that the microbiological safety of these products is guaranteed only if they are maintained at a temperature of less than 6 ° C for the entire duration of the Shelf Life. However, domestic refrigerators often record average temperatures between 8.5 ° C and 9.5 ° C, making these food vulnerable
- inadequacy of thermal treatments: the pasteurization processes used (90 ° C for 10 minutes) do not eliminate the spores of Clostridium botulinum. The only solution is a cooking that guarantees the complete thermal destruction of botulinum toxin (Bonts). The health authorities advise to boil the product for at least 5 minutes, but second The life jacket The actual times are much longer
- microwave limits: To reach the boil and respect the safety parameters, the microwave proves to be ineffective, since it alters the consistency and taste of the soups.
Doubts about plastic containers
Another theme addressed by the investigation concerns the safety of plastic containers used for ready soups. With prolonged cooking times, is there the risk of release of contaminants in the food? The leading companies in the sector – Dimmidisì, Eurooverde and Zerbinati – have reassured that their polypropylene trays (PP5) respect European standards on mocha (materials in contact with food). These containers are tested to resist up to an hour at 121 ° C, therefore theoretically suitable for enduring the required heating times.
However, a technician interviewed by The life jacket He stressed that, in light of the new ministerial indications, it would be necessary to submit all the containers to new specific tests to definitively exclude the risk of migration of plastic components in food.
The investigation of The life jacket It highlights that the current solutions – such as the simple modification of the labels – are not enough to guarantee our safety without compromising the quality of the product. A question conclude experts, which requires further insights and structural interventions by the authorities and companies in the sector.
