In hot weather, many people like to eat chilled fruits to cool down and watermelon is one of those fruits. However, if watermelon is not properly preserved, it can easily produce toxins that are harmful to the body. There are many cases of eating watermelon overnight in the refrigerator that have caused the whole family to be hospitalized. So how to preserve watermelon properly without affecting the health of the family? Listen to the advice of nutrition experts.

Case of eating watermelon overnight in the refrigerator that caused the whole family to be hospitalized

For many people, watermelon is cool and naturally sweet, better than eating ice cream that you can eat forever. However, no one can eat all the watermelon in one sitting, so families leave the leftovers in the refrigerator to eat gradually.

According to the press, there was a case of a family of 3 in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China being hospitalized with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating overnight watermelon. The three people were diagnosed with gastroenteritis, and the child also suffered from anemia and kidney failure, which was life-threatening.

Previously, in 2020, another similar case in Wuhan, China was also hospitalized for eating overnight watermelon for 2 days. After that, she developed a fever and chills, which was extremely dangerous.

Why does watermelon spoil easily?

Compared with other fruits, watermelon is more susceptible to spoilage. First of all, normal watermelons are large and difficult to eat all at once, so they are often left in the refrigerator.

Second, the process of cutting watermelons is very susceptible to bacterial contamination. If the watermelon rind is not cleaned before cutting the watermelon, or the knife and cutting board are not clean, bacteria can be brought to the surface of the watermelon.

Third, the water and sugar in watermelons can be said to be a good environment for bacterial culture, along with the high temperature and humidity in the summer, it creates excellent objective conditions for bacteria to reproduce.

Improper storage is also an important cause of watermelon spoilage. If the cut surface of the watermelon is not sealed in time after cutting, it is very susceptible to bacterial contamination, and then placed at room temperature, the bacteria will multiply very quickly, leading to the watermelon spoiling.

How long can a cut watermelon be kept?

There is an experiment related to this issue. People cut watermelon with a regular kitchen knife and a specialized fruit knife. Then, wrap the watermelon with plastic wrap and leave it overnight. The results showed that people counted 160 bacteria on a 25g piece of watermelon with a specialized fruit knife. Meanwhile, there were up to 8,400 bacteria on a 25g piece of watermelon cut with a regular kitchen knife. This shows that regular kitchen knives (often used to cut raw food) contain countless bacteria. In just 1 night, it has multiplied to thousands of bacteria in the watermelon. Therefore, whether watermelon is safe to leave overnight or not depends on the watermelon itself and the knife and cutting board used. It is best not to use the knife and cutting board used to cut raw food for fruits and cooked food.

In addition, the watermelon itself is also important, don't think that there is no need to wash it because we only eat the inside. In the summer, high temperatures make it easy for bacteria to grow. The surface of the watermelon is covered with many things, so it is necessary to wash it before cutting.

Whole watermelons can be stored for many days, but if they have been cut, they need to be eaten on the same day. Even when storing watermelon in the refrigerator, it should not be left for more than 12 hours. If you leave it overnight, it is okay, just ensure safety principles, do not let it get contaminated, and you can eat it.

In addition, refrigerated watermelons should be left out at room temperature for a few minutes before eating. Some people have a bad stomach, suddenly eating cold food can lead to diarrhea, accidentally mistaking it for eating watermelon overnight. If you find that the watermelon is spoiled or unripe, you need to throw it away immediately to ensure the health of yourself and your family.