The Department of Public Health recommends eating well-done hamburgers in the summer to avoid foodborne illness.

The Directorate General of Public Health, through the Food Safety Service, advises eating well-done hamburgers during these summer months to avoid foodborne illness caused by the Escherichia coli bacteria, which is more common in undercooked ground beef. Therefore, the Department of Food Safety recommends that whenever you plan to eat a hamburger outside the home, you should check that the meat is fully cooked and has lost its reddish hue, indicating that it is still slightly raw.

Public Health reminds everyone that, during these summer months, preparing food for outdoor consumption can carry the risk of foodborne illness if simple hygiene rules are not followed.

First and foremost, it is essential to wash your hands before and after handling food and disinfect fruits and vegetables that will not be cooked with a few drops of bleach suitable for this purpose. If preparing salads, mix the ingredients before eating to avoid cross-contamination. Raw and cooked foods should also be kept separate.

Meat should be well cooked, and, as much as possible, foods made with raw eggs should be avoided. Therefore, omelets should be well set and stored in coolers before eating. During preparation, it is advisable not to crack eggs into the same dish where they will be beaten, not to use the shell to separate the yolk from the white, or to place the omelet on the same plate used to flip it in the pan.

During transportation, it is advisable not to leave food in the car for long periods of time to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Food should never be thawed at room temperature; it is more prudent to do so in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth.

Finally, to avoid the most common food poisonings—salmonellosis, listeriosis, E. coli, or campylobacteriosis—which generally cause gastroenteritis, fever, and vomiting, the aforementioned measures should be followed: cook meat and eggs thoroughly and keep them refrigerated until ready to eat; wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly; and maintain proper hand hygiene at all times.