AboutCarol Schlitt Expertise I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).
Experience I am an Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety. I am a certified HACCP manager and a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Organizations International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education.
Education/Credentials BS - University of Illinois
MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
I currently have a vegetarian stew that was made one week ago. It has been refrigerated for that time period but i haven't had time to finish it. If these iodine tablets can make muddy, silty, stagnant water found in the backcountry potable do you think if I add tablets to my stew it would kill off dangerous bacteria?
Answer Hi Logan,
I understand your thinking that if iodine is effective on water could it also be effective in killing food borne bacteria rendering food safe. But it doesn't quite happen this way.
First, the bacteria that could be growing in food are not the same as found in water and are not subject to the same methods for destroying. Food that is potentially unsafe can not with 100% assurance be made safe by heating let alone by adding iodine, chlorine or other sanitization product. If so, everyone would be adding iodine tablets to foods that had been held too long to make them safe.
Vegetarian stew should be consumed within 3-5 days of preparation. After such time, the potential for food borne bacteria growing to undetected but dangerous levels increases exponentially. Since you can't taste, see or smell the bacteria, food that still looks good, smells fine and taste great could make you ill. Some bacteria produce a toxin when allowed to grow and this toxin can not be killed by heat, iodine or other chemical.
Thus, the best way to keep yourself safe with food is refrigerate and use within safety guidelines or freeze for future use.
