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Christmas and New Year time also means delicatessen products – salads, open sandwiches, mayonnaises, spreads, and others. All these products belong to the risk food group because they are highly perishable and may cause serious alimentary diseases, thus foodborne illnesses. It is therefore necessary to be cautious not only when buying them but also when processing them and storing them at home.

The most important information we should take notice of when buying delicatessen products is the use-by date that is stated by the words “To be used by…” followed by an exact date. After its expiration, food must not be sold and neither should it be consumed. In such cases, information about suitable storage conditions is specified on the packaging. Consumers can find this information also when buying non-packaged salads or other products, since sellers are obligated to display it in a visible place, or to provide it upon request. If you are not sure with the appearance of offered delicatessen products because they do not look fresh, it is better not to buy them. The same principle applies to food stored at home.

The place where delicatessen products are stored is an important clue when buying them. It should be refrigerated display case with temperature not exceeding 5°C. It is obvious that a functioning thermometer should be placed in the display case in a visible place. It is necessary to store delicatessen products at home under the same conditions.

Consumers should also pay attention to the hygiene conditions of sale of delicatessen products – whether it is cleanliness of the place of sale or cleanliness of the staff that should always use serving equipment or gloves when selling non-packaged goods.

Mayonnaise is one of the best selling goods during Christmas. It can be made only from eggs that have been heat-treated in order to avoid undesirable microbial contamination, for instance, with Salmonella. Strict rules also apply to the sale of mayonnaise: it can be sold only in hermetically sealed containers and it must be stored at temperatures from 0 to 15oC; packages over 300ml or 300g must bear a warning “After opening, use immediately”. This is what CAFIA expert recommend for all delicatessen products.

More information can be found at www.szpi.gov.cz.