Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables available because you can do various dishes from them. People can fry, grill, steam, and compliment other dishes when you put them as a side dish.
Some enjoy their potatoes by baking them. According to Foods Guy, baked potatoes are a great meal if you are in a time constraint and budget.
Since the world is calling most of us with so many responsibilities to face, saving time is essential, and one way of doing it is cooking your meals ahead of time.
Since baking potato is not time-consuming, you might usually do them in batches and store them in aluminum foil to preserve their freshness.
However, did you know that storing your cooked, baked potatoes in aluminum foil carries a risk that might be a little bit handful?
Baked Potatoes and Aluminum Foil
A bag of potatoes is pictured as volunteers load bags of potatoes into cars during a potato giveaway event on May 14, 2020 in Tacoma, Washington. The Washington Potato Commission gave away 200,000 pounds of potatoes, as farmers in the state face reduced demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aluminum foils can be convenient when you wrap them on your baked potatoes, and reheating and popping them in an oven is easier and less messy than using any other baking pans.
So is it safe to store your baked potatoes in aluminum foil? The answer is NO. It is not safe to put your baked potatoes in aluminum foil.
Food Safety News reported that cooked potatoes are a time or temperature control for safe food. Meaning, cooked potatoes require attention after baking them.
You might be thinking that perhaps you will remove your aluminum foil from your cupboards, but the health risk the potato gives does not technically come from the aluminum foil.
State Food Safety shares that it is safe to use in your baked potato, as long as you don't let the potato cool down inside an aluminum foil.
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Letting it happen on a baked potato wrapped in an aluminum foil results in a buildup of a pathogen of bacteria that requires zero oxygen, according to Life Hacker. It added that removing the foil right after the potato cooks is very important to avoid causing the pathogen to build up.
Web 24 News revealed that the toxin is caused by Clostridium Botulinum, and sometimes by Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii.
State Food Safety noted that the dangerous temperature is between 41-135 degrees Fahrenheit. It said that these temperatures are the easiest for the bacteria to multiply and make your potato unsafe for consumption.
Also called botulism, Food Safety News noted that a teaspoon of the bacteria could kill 100,000 people, which means that consuming a small amount of the contaminated food will make an individual sick.
Safety Measures
According to Mayo Clinic, botulism typically begins between 12 and 36 hours after eating a portion of food contaminated with the bacteria.
The clinic added that doctors would clear out the digestive system by promoting vomiting and giving medications to encourage a bowel movement.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that doctors usually treat botulism using a drug called antitoxin to prevent the bacteria from causing any more harm to the body's nerves, as these bacteria can also cause paralysis.
Now that you know that serious problems can be caused by storing baked potatoes in an aluminum foil and letting them cool down inside carries risk, maybe it's time to eradicate the practice.
Remember to remove the foil after cooking to be safe from any adverse effects.
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