The
sight of a serving of fried rice certainly turns on the salivary glands of any
normal person.
It
is made from steamed rice stir-fried in a wok/pan, often with other ingredients
such as eggs, vegetables, and meat. It usually has a light-brown colour and the
cost mostly depends on the type of rice used (especially in Ghana) and the
preferred accompaniments (ingredients).
Fried rice is a delicacy in West African
countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. China and Chinese restaurants in the
USA and the United Kingdom dish it as well.
In
this discussion, we look at the fried rice served as fast foods on the streets
mostly as ‘takeaways’.
HUMAN
CONTACT
To
start with, a lot of human contact is made with the food leading to probable
cross contamination. From its preparation to serving the count in terms of
human contact is un-healthy and thus, can lead to the transfer of harmful germs
and other pathogens.
The
added fact that, fried rice is not cooked at optimum temperatures for long
periods, pre-disposes it to pathogenic proliferation (growth).
FRIED
RICE SYNDROME
Bacillus cereus is the cause of "Fried Rice Syndrome," the bacteria is classically contracted
from fried rice dishes that have been sitting at room temperature for hours.
This
bacteria’s presence is manifested in the causing of severe nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea upon ingestion.
OTHER
MICROBES
Other
pathogenic microbes that may be present are Coliforms, Escherichia Coli, staphylococcus
and the most dangerous of all Salmonella
spp.
Salmonella spp. in particular is so dangerous that the
internationally allowed detection level is 0 colony forming units in 25grams of
samples.
All
these microbes are associated with most street vended foods.
CAUSE
OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION
1.
Under-cooking
2.
Cross-contamination
3.
Poor cleaning/hygiene
4.
Poor temperature and time control
CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASES
As
the name implies “fried” rice is a fried food and thus contains the
after-effect of using too much oil in preparation.
The
main reason why fried foods are not healthy to eat is because; they often
contain Trans-fats which are associated with causing the thickening of the
lining of arteries which can lead to heart attacks.
Trans-fats
found in fried foods have been proved to increase the risk for a person to
develop cardiovascular diseases. Eating these foods frequently can increase
levels of bad cholesterol and lower levels of good cholesterol. Fried foods can
raise blood pressure due to clogged arteries, which then raises a person’s risk
of suffering from a heart attack. Not only can fried foods cause heart disease
but they can lead to Type II diabetes as well.
CONCLUSION
The
best counsel will be to avoid eating fried rice served on the streets and
probably cook your own at home with healthier oils like soya, olive and
sunflower. However, for those who can’t do without it, occasional consumption
is recommended.
This article was reviewed on Monday, 19th
August, 2013 By Nu. Sallah
Stanley Kwesi (Nutritionist at Nutritional Talk)
