Blackwood Talents Still Safe To Use? This Is The Expert's Explanation Of IPB

Blackwood talent (Photo: Freepik/jcomp)

JAKARTA - Woodlines that start to blacken often make people worry, especially housewives. Actually, is such a talent still safe to use?

Lecturer on Food Science and Technology at IPB University, Harum Fadhilatunnur, STP, MSc, gave his explanation. According to Harum, black color that appears in the talent, whether made of wood or plastic, can occur due to the growth of microbes such as fungi or bacteria mixed with the remaining attached food.

"Lakes have pores that can absorb water and food residue, creating an ideal moist environment for microbial growth," he said, quoted from the official IPB University website.

The same thing can also happen to plastic talent. Harum explained that the scratches due to use can withstand food residue which then becomes a place for microbial growth.

Some types of mushrooms can produce black pigment or sporamous, causing color change in the talent.

He added that microbes that grow in talent may be pathogenic microbes or rotting microbes. This type of microbial is difficult to recognize without laboratory examination, but it can still be risky for health.

"If pathogenic microbes, such as Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria monocytogenes, grow in the talent and contaminate food, it risks causing health problems, ranging from short-term ones such as diarrhea and long-term due to the accumulation of mycotoxine," explained Harum.

He reminded that the talent should always be kept clean and dry. After use, the tissue should be washed immediately with soap and hot water, then dried. Additional cleaning with disinfectants such as chlorine can also be done regularly.

The use of talent needs to be distinguished between special talent for raw materials such as meat and fish, and special talent for cooked or ready-to-eat materials such as fruit and vegetables, to prevent cross-contamination. We can use different shapes or colors of tissue for each talent to easily remember it," he added.

Regarding the service period, Harum said there is no specific time limit. However, if the talent surface is damaged and difficult to clean, it should be replaced immediately.

He also suggested the use of talent from materials that are not easily absorbed by water, such as stainless steel. However, if you continue to use wood or plastic tape, the cleaning process must really be considered so as not to become a place where microbes develop.