9 From a Family Died Horribly After Eating Year-Old-Frozen Noodles, Experts Share How to Defrost Food Safely

Most people don't put much thought into processes like defrosting while dealing with frozen foods. People are not thorough regarding the steps when they have to whip up something for a quick meal. A family tragedy in China though has made many people question the way they go about heating their food, LADBible reported.

The family died after the chemicals in the leftover food attacked their body system. Experts discovered later on that the family failed to defrost their food properly, which caused the deaths. 

The deaths occurred on October 5, 2020, LADBible reported. Twelve members of the family came together to celebrate a national holiday. They decided to feast on year-old noodles stored in their freezer. The noodles were leftovers of Suantangzi, a Chinese dish using fermented corn flour as its main ingredient. Only nine members ate the food, while the rest refused to take a bite, because of the odd taste.

Soon after eating the noodles, people began to fall ill. They were experiencing extreme nausea, vomiting continuously, and going through intense abdominal pain. The family members were quickly checked into the hospital for treatment, but none of them survived. Authorities were informed and they began their investigations. Officials concluded the meal to be​ the cause of death after analyzing the gastric fluid of the victims.

Experts believe that during the defrosting of the fermented soup, the noodles got spoiled and accumulated a high concentration of dangerous bongkrekic acid. This respiratory toxin can form in some fermented foods, and can potentially kill 40 percent to 100 percent of the individuals who eat such items.

The risk of getting poisoned can be reduced considerably if people defrost their frozen food following a series of steps, LADBible reported. Experts' general suggestion regarding leftover food is not to cook in bulk and no matter what, freeze them. Food Safety and Inspection service from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, suggests people should plan when it comes to eating their leftover food. 

Food Safety and Inspection Service claims that the optimal temperature of thawing food is 40°F (4°C) or below. They warn against taking the frozen food outside as it could cause the items to face unfavorable temperatures, facilitating the formation of dangerous chemicals. "Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours," the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated. 

Authorities have identified three methods for thawing food. "There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and the microwave," the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated.

While refrigerators are at play, individuals need to thaw with a lot of planning. Items like meat need to be kept for around 24 hours in the appliance, before cooking, according to experts. Anything less than that could cause the food to not remain edible as it needs to be for consumption. 

The same meat would require less preparation for thawing if cold water is applied instead of the refrigerator, LADBible reported. For this kind of thawing to work, meat should be packaged in a bag, and then submerged in cold tap water. Water must be changed every half hour, with small-sized food items taking an hour to get defrosted while bigger ones require some more time. In this method, the food item must be placed in a leak-proof package for protection against bacteria. 

Using a microwave for thawing is quite simple compared to other methods. The food just needs to be put in the appliance, and heated at optimal temperatures. The temperature depends on the quantity of food and the type of microwave being used in the process. One thing to keep in mind is that frozen food needs to be eaten immediately after being pulled out of the microwave.