Can fish and yogurt be consumed together? Should mold on cheese and tomato paste be removed? The Ministry answered frequently asked questions

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provides answers to current questions regarding food consumption on its 'Do You Know These?' page on its website. Here are some questions and their answers...

CAN FISH AND YOGURT BE CONSUMED AT THE SAME TIME?

It is known that fresh fish obtained from clean waters does not cause poisoning when cooked properly without waiting and consumed together with fresh yogurt.

The amount of a protein called histamine in the structure of fish increases in stale fish. If the fish is not cooled quickly after being taken out of the water, an increase in histamine is observed, and when such stored fish is consumed, histamine can lead to allergic reactions in the body, along with negative effects and poisoning. Yogurt also contains a substance called histamine.

Consuming yogurt with fish that is not fresh is not recommended because it will cause an increase in histamine. However, what is important here is the degree of freshness of the fish.

For these reasons, if we are sure of the freshness of the fish, there will be no harm in consuming yogurt with fish.

DOES THE POISON DISAPPEAR WHEN MUSHROOMS COLLECTED FROM NATURE ARE COOKED?

The vast majority of toxic compounds are heat-resistant, and the toxicity of a mushroom does not disappear by cooking, boiling, or drying.

For this reason, mushrooms collected from nature should not be consumed in any way unless it is certain that they are edible.

IS CHICKEN THAT TAKES A LONG TIME TO COOK A NATURAL CHICKEN?

The fact that a chicken takes a long time to cook is related to its breed and age. Since fast-growing and easy-to-cook chicken breeds are produced in the industry, the chicken you buy at the market cooks much more easily.

Village chickens take a long time to cook because they are generally not fed with fast-developing broiler breeds suitable for slaughter. The villager primarily wants to benefit from the chicken's eggs for as long as possible.

On the other hand, they do not sell the chicken for slaughter until it stops laying eggs in order to benefit from its eggs for as long as possible. In other words, the fact that village chicken takes longer to cook is due to it being older, not young like broilers specially raised for meat, and the difference in chicken breeds.

SHOULD CHICKEN BE WASHED BEFORE COOKING?

There is no need to wash chicken meat in water before cooking; cooking the chicken thoroughly is sufficient. As with all other foods, any microorganisms that may be present in the chicken will be eliminated by sufficient cooking during the cooking process.

When meats are washed, there is a risk of spreading any microorganisms that may be on them to other parts of the kitchen. For this reason, if there are parts that we see as very dirty, these can be cut off and removed instead of being washed.

IS BROWN SUGAR HEALTHY?

Brown sugar is obtained by adding sugarcane molasses to white table sugar to give it color, and its main component is white table sugar. For this reason, it cannot be said that brown sugar is healthier than white table sugar.

The World Health Organization recommends that free sugar intake be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake. Therefore, excessive consumption of sugar and sugary products should be avoided.

IS THE PRODUCTION OF HONEY-FLAVORED SYRUP LEGAL?

With the Turkish Food Codex Regulation, the production of products that give the impression of honey, such as honey-flavored syrup, pine-flavored syrup, honey syrup, and similar names, by adding flavorings or honey, was banned as of 19.02.2020 in order to prevent misleading the consumer by creating a perception of honey.

THE REASON WHY YOGURTS DO NOT SPOIL FOR A LONG TIME?

The fact that yogurts do not spoil for a long time is a result of the development of dairy product production technology. With the heat treatment applied to the milk, some of the water in it is removed, and at the same time, microorganisms that may cause foodborne diseases are destroyed. With the controlled fermentation provided in yogurt production, the formation of substances that cause souring and spoilage is prevented.

In yogurts made in a home environment, the microorganisms used (called starter culture in the industry) are obtained from the previous yogurt, and since the fermentation temperature and time cannot be controlled, spoilage occurs more quickly.

SHOULD DIRTY EGGS BE WASHED?

It is thought by consumers that the dirt on the outer shells of eggs will be cleaned when washed.

However, when an egg is washed, the microorganisms on it enter through the invisible pores on the eggshell and increase the risk of the egg spoiling.

Ready-packaged eggs should be stored in lidded containers suitable for food contact without being washed.

IF THE PIT IS BLACK, IS THE OLIVE DYED?

The fact that the olive pit is black is related to its maturity. As the olive matures on the tree, phenols with a black/purple color move from the skin of the olive towards the pit. In fully ripe olives, these phenols reach the pit and the color of the pit turns black.

CAN MOLDY PARTS OF YOGURT, TOMATO PASTE, AND CHEESE BE REMOVED AND EATEN?

It is recommended not to consume products with high water content such as yogurt, cream, jam, tomato paste, bread, fruit juices, meat products such as red meat, white meat, sausage, salami, soft vegetables and fruits (cucumber, tomato, peach, etc.), and cooked meals if there is mold, even if that area is cut off.

Because the mycelia belonging to the formed mold can develop deep into the food even if they are not visible to the eye, and some mold species can produce harmful compounds called toxins that are harmful to the human body.

HOW SHOULD FOOD BE STORED AT HOME?

Store the food you buy at the appropriate temperature. Store meat and meat products, as well as milk and dairy products, in refrigerator conditions at 0-4° C. Consume cooked foods immediately or, if you are going to consume them later, cool them quickly, store them in the refrigerator, and heat the amount to be consumed. Avoid reheating cooked food repeatedly. Store dry foods in a dark, cool, dry place. Store frozen products at -18° C, thaw them in the refrigerator when they are to be consumed, and do not refreeze them after thawing.