The doctor warned about possible infections due to eating at Shrovetide festivities

During Maslenitsa Week, pancakes are the main treat and a hit of sales at catering outlets. You can try them for free at many city fairs on the occasion of the holiday. Gastroenetrologist, Candidate of medical Sciences, expert of the laboratory "Hemotest" Ekaterina Kashukh reminded that you should be careful with any takeaway food. She told Izvestia on February 26 about the dangers of snacking on pancakes on the street, what to look for when buying street food and what to do if your stomach hurts after eating.

According to her, the main danger that any street food poses is infection with acute intestinal infections. Most often they are provoked by bacteria — E. coli, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, salmonella, shigella.

"Moreover, the pancakes themselves are unlikely to pose a threat if they are made from fresh dough, did not lie in the open air and got into the plate, as they say, from the heat of the heat. Even if we assume that the dough was made with slightly sour milk, there will be no harm — in many pancake recipes it is even recommended to use sour milk or kefir. But if you take pancakes with unwashed hands, the risk of contracting E. coli or dysentery becomes high," explained Kashukh.

She recommended that before trying such a treat on the street, find a way to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and running water, or at least wipe them with a napkin and treat with an antiseptic."

In addition, you can get poisoned with poor-quality filling for pancakes, the expert noted.

"Pancakes stuffed with cottage cheese, sour cream and meat are best eaten in trusted places. All these are perishable products that must be stored in a sealed form and always in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, vendors at fairs and tents do not always faithfully comply with these requirements. In conditions of improper storage, bacteria can multiply in products or accumulate toxins that are dangerous to humans, which are released by microbes," explained the gastroenetologist.

Kashukh added that it is relatively safe to eat pancakes with jam or sweet syrup outside. The main thing is to keep a sense of proportion and not overeat, because this is a high—calorie meal. In order not to harm the figure and avoid heaviness in the stomach, it is enough to eat one or two pancakes.

When buying them on the street, you should pay attention to the conditions of their preparation.

"A person who bakes pancakes must always wear gloves and a special hat. He should be wearing clean clothes and an apron. Catering at fairs has the same sanitary requirements as any street food. And if there is even the slightest doubt, it is better not to take food in such places," the doctor emphasized.

If you still have a stomach ache after a street meal, you should consult a doctor. The expert clarified that the symptoms of acute intestinal infections are similar. Usually, the disease makes itself felt within a couple of hours after eating, but sometimes the incubation period is delayed for three to five days.

"That is, by the time any signs of infection appear, the person will have already forgotten what potentially dangerous he ate. There may be abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases fever. If these symptoms occur, you should not delay visiting a doctor, especially if a child is ill. Children with vomiting and diarrhea quickly become dehydrated, as the body rapidly loses fluid, which affects the functioning of the heart and nervous system," she said.

Earlier, on February 23, Ekaterina Kashukh, an expert at the Hemotest laboratory and a gastroenterologist, told Izvestia that people with diabetes and overweight should be especially careful about including pancakes in their diets. In addition, they can be dangerous for those who have pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cirrhosis of the liver.