Nutrition experts have said that eating cold food poses health risk that may arise from food poisoning and bacterial contamination.
The dietitians sounded the warning against consuming meals which temperatures are less than 40 degrees Celsius in an interview they granted Punchng.
“When you leave your food to get cold, the risk of contamination and food poisoning becomes higher. The risk of contamination, bacterial infestation, and food poisoning is lower when food is eaten at a hot temperature, unlike when it is very cold,” a nutrition specialist, James Oloyede, told the publication.
The experts, according to the report, noted that individuals with certain health conditions, particularly diabetes, may benefit from eating some foods, such as rice, cold to control blood sugar levels, but must maintain strict hygiene to avoid foodborne illnesses.
“My advice is that food is better eaten when hot. When I mean hot, I don’t mean to burn your tongue or mouth. It should be at a temperature that an individual can tolerate. When food is cold, we need to reheat it to a certain temperature to ensure that the growth of microorganisms is destroyed and to prevent poisoning. It’s important to eat food as cooked, rather than leaving it to get cold and exposed to flies and some other microorganisms that can cause food poisoning,” Oloyede was quoted to have said.
