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The Conversation, Matthew Gilmour, "The sniff test is not reliable for food safety – here’s why"

siiky

2023/08/30

post,science,environment

https://theconversation.com/the-sniff-test-is-not-reliable-for-food-safety-heres-why-211808

(...) the microbes that are most commonly associated with foodborne illness, such as Listeria and Salmonella, are going to be near impossible to pick up with the sniff test.

Even if present – and the risk is thankfully relatively low – these bacteria would probably be at such a small amount in the food that any metabolic action (and then odour production) would be entirely imperceptible to our noses.

Also, any eau de Listeria would be indistinguishable from the minor odours that would be made by the more abundant microbial species that are common and expected to be on our foods, and which cause us no health concerns.

Yes, there’s a very small chance that Listeria may be present in the smoked salmon that I picked up at the coastal smokehouse last week. But absolutely no chance that my olfactory senses can detect any hints of Listeria over the delicious smells of the dill and salts and smoke that make up the product.

I also reflect that some of the causes of foodborne illness are still unknown to us. While many cases of illness are known to be caused by bacterial contaminants such as Campylobacter or the other microbes I’ve mentioned, there are just as many cases where we don’t yet know the source.