New Year"s salads "from the morning": experts warn about bacterial dangers

Dietitian Nadezhda Litvinova-Grazion warned about the danger of the habit of finishing New Year's salads in the morning, noting that ready-made dishes can quickly become a source of serious health problems.

As reported by TUT.AZ with reference to "Lenta.ru", the specialist revealed the alarming truth about the popular tradition. The main danger lies in the rapid multiplication of bacteria in salads, especially those containing mayonnaise, sour cream, eggs, meat, sausage, or fish. It is in such a nutritious environment that staphylococcus, salmonella, E. coli, and various types of clostridia actively develop.

According to the dietitian, the consequences of consuming such a "morning festive meal" can be quite unpleasant. Pathogenic microorganisms provoke a whole range of symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, painful abdominal cramps, and fever. In advanced cases, the situation is aggravated by dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which leads to dizziness, severe weakness, and even dangerous disruptions in heart function.

Litvinova-Grazion especially emphasized that even refrigeration is not a 100% guarantee of safety. Microbes continue to multiply, especially if the storage temperature exceeds the recommended one or the original ingredients were not fresh. The expert gave clear recommendations: eating salads the next day is acceptable only under strict observance of two conditions — continuous storage in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding +4 °C and no more than 24 hours from the time of preparation. In any other situation, one should firmly resist the temptation to indulge in yesterday's festive dishes.