Swedish food safety tips for midsummer: Keep it cool, serve in portions

As Sweden prepares for midsummer celebrations, food safety experts are issuing crucial advice to prevent foodborne illnesses. Catarina Flink, a microbiologist at the National Food Agency, emphasizes the importance of keeping perishable foods cold, especially in warm summer temperatures. For midsummer feasts, she recommends serving items like salmon, herring, and cheeses in smaller portions and replenishing them as needed. In summer heat reaching 25-30 degrees Celsius, these chilled items should not be left at room temperature for longer than two hours. At a more moderate 20 degrees Celsius, the safe time extends to four hours. Flink also stresses the need for good hand hygiene, using clean utensils, and maintaining a clean environment around the food to minimize the spread of harmful microorganisms. "It's not possible to determine if and what kind of pathogenic microorganisms are present in the food," Flink stated. "If food is left out too long in the heat, bacteria can multiply and make people sick with symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting." She added that ensuring the refrigerator is set to 4 degrees Celsius is vital, as this low temperature inhibits bacterial growth and extends the shelf life of food. The agency also warns about potential mold toxins, noting that while acute illness from mold toxins is rare in Sweden, long-term exposure can lead to serious health issues, including liver and kidney damage, and cancer.

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How long different chilled goods can be left out varies. To keep it simple, for all chilled goods, stick to the two-hour rule in summer heat. At normal room temperature of 20 degrees, it's four hours.