From the tragedy of Campobasso, with two women dying after the Christmas Eve dinner, to the often ignored risks of holiday tables. Homemade preserves, raw foods and poor hygiene: what to know to prevent food poisoning, without alarmism.
The evening of Christmas Eve was supposed to be a party. Instead, it ended in tragedy. In Campobasso, in the hours following the dinner, a 50-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter lost their lives after experiencing serious illnesswith symptoms attributable to possible food poisoning. The first symptoms – nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain – appeared a few hours after dinner. Then the sudden worsening, two discharges from the emergency room, and finally hospitalization in intensive care and unfortunately death. The investigations are ongoing, 5 doctors have been investigated (including two Venezuelan health workers on duty in the emergency room when mother and daughter were discharged without any hospitalization) and clinical and toxicological tests will clarify exactly what happened. But the fact that clearly emerges is another: holidays, and in particular New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve dinners, have always represented one of the moments at greatest risk for food poisoningas confirmed by data from Italian emergency rooms. Laid tables, dishes prepared in advance, raw or preserved ingredients, overcrowded kitchens: the perfect combination for something to go wrong. Without giving in to alarmism – which does not help and is of no use – the Campobasso case however requires reflection. Because no one sits down at the table thinking they’re taking a risk. And because many of the pitfalls that can turn a party into an emergency they are everyday, invisible and deeply underestimated.
Preserves and tradition: when the emotional memory obscures the danger
Among the silent defendants at holiday tables are homemade preserves. Beautiful, good, full of memories. Yet not harmless. “Home preserves are potential vehicles of botulinum,” explains the microbiologist Alessandro Mustazzoluauthor of the book “No one has ever died”, (Gribaudo, €16.90), a journey into the troubles that derive from ignorance and poor hygiene. «And Botox can kill. The problem is that their preparation is not just cooking: it is an emotional ritual. Questioning it causes family friction.” The Clostridium botulinum produces the most potent natural toxin known: infinitesimal quantities are enough to cause respiratory paralysis and death. It is a risk that is little perceived because it is rare, but precisely for this reason it is insidious. «Sterilizing, vacuum packing and boiling is not enough», recalls Mustazzolu. “In a domestic environment it is not possible to reach the temperatures necessary to completely eliminate the risk.” New Year’s Eve dinner, with appetizers prepared days before and jars opened at the last minute because “they are still good anyway”, it can become the moment in which this fragility emerges. And saying no, in front of the smile of those who prepared them, is never easy.
From cutting board to tiramisu: the invisible party of bacteria
Many dangers do not come from what we eat, but from how we prepare it. Cutting boards, a symbol of contemporary conviviality, are one of the main vehicles of contamination. If used for raw meats and then for ready-to-eat foods without thorough washing, they allow bacteria to “jump” from one food to another. «In the department we continually see the consequences of mistakes made in the kitchen», explains the professor Silvio Danesedirector of the Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Unit of theIRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. «Any food, even industrial, can be contaminated. And often those who arrive at hospital are no longer able to trace the cause.” Raw fish – sushi, sashimi, tartare – is never a zero-risk choice. «Anisakidosis was first described in the 1960s» explains Mustazzolu. «He has a rapid onset, with nausea, vomiting, fever and epigastric pain. Eating raw fish, tartare, marinated anchovies is never a zero-risk choice, and becomes a collective responsibility if you have guests”. Not even the blast chiller saves us from dangers: it can only “stop” bacterial growth, without eliminating it: once the fish is brought back to room temperature, the bacteria will continue their “dirty” (it is appropriate to say so) work. Then there are the great holiday classics, such as tiramisu with raw eggsa potential vehicle for salmonella, or the turkey washed in the sink, which spreads Campylobacter on surfaces and dishes; even the dough for homemade cakes, because raw flours may contain Escherichia coliespecially dangerous in children. Then there is a particularly insidious guest, namely Lysteria, which can proliferate even at low temperatures and does not alter the smell or taste of foods. Causes serious infections, septicemia and meningitisand is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly and immunosuppressed. It can be found in soft cheeses from raw milk, sliced cured meats, smoked salmon and pâtés
How to protect yourself on New Year’s Eve
The point is not to live in fear, but reduce risks with simple and rational behaviour. Scrupulous hygiene of hands and surfaces, separate utensils for raw and cooked foods, attention to storage times and temperatures. And then the conscious choice of restaurants and clubs, being wary of improvised preparations and suspiciously low prices for lavish dinners, perhaps in restaurants never frequented before. Mushrooms and “natural” products deserve a separate chapter. “Just one poisonous mushroom is enough to contaminate the entire crop,” warns Danese. Without the control of mycological inspectorates, the advice is only one: renounce. Even at the cost of inventing a diplomatic allergy. Also because cooking does not mean neutralizing the riskbecause several lethal toxins — including amanitin — they are not inactivated by heat. The Campobasso case reminds us harshly: food is culture, affection and sharing, but it also remains a possible source of risk. Knowing these dangers doesn’t mean giving up on the party. It means arriving there prepared. Because New Year’s Eve must end with a toast, and certainly not in a hospital ward.
