Last year, approximately 400 individuals who participated in a festival in Busan suffered from food poisoning, displaying symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. The source of the contamination was identified to be perfringens, a bacterium that can develop heat-resistant spores when exposed to higher temperatures; these spores allow it to stay inactive until optimal conditions for growth return. Thus, even food that has been heated adequately can lead to food poisoning due to the presence of this bacteria. When a lot of food, like steamed ribs or jangjorim, has been cooked and then left to cool to room temperature, any perfringens spores that were still alive after the cooking could start to multiply if the temperature drops below 60 degrees, resulting in food poisoning.
In the springtime, food poisoning is more widespread due to the drastic temperature shifts between day and night. Meals that are cooked in the early morning or evening when temperatures are lower can be left at room temperature until it gets hotter during the day, creating an environment where perfringens spores can rapidly develop. Research data indicates that nearly 37% of perfringens food poisoning cases over the past 5 years have occurred between March and May.
In order to avoid food contamination, it is advised to heat meat through to a minimum internal temperature of 75 degrees Celsius for a minimum of one minute. When storing food, it should be stored in multiple containers and kept at 5 degrees Celsius or cooler. Furthermore, it is better to eat the food straight away or reheat before consuming instead of leaving the food at room temperature for long periods. By following these guidelines, the risk of contracting perfringens and other microbial infections can be reduced.