Thanks for nice question and very well answered by Prof Barbara, would like to add that : Food can be contaminated when it is handled, stored or prepared incorrectly!, Care in processing, transport, storage, preparing and serving of food is necessary to reduce the risk of contamination. The holistic approach of your question should be investigated in each country due to their own conditions probably.

Agree with dear Prof Parisa Ziarati!

Depends. Depends of food additives and their doses in packaged food or ready-to-eat food, depends of wrapping material for food products and depends of storage and transportation conditions i.e. "cold chain" if is required. However the rules of EFSA and FAD are very rigid in that sense. Depends. Depends of food additives and their doses in packaged food or ready-to-eat food, depends of wrapping material for food products and depends of storage and transportation conditions i.e. "cold chain" if is required. However, "the devil never sleeps" and some bad side effects could be described even after few years of using some food. But it also depends of frequency of usage. For instance, if you eat so called 'ready-to-eat' food almost every day, it might cause some consequences on your digestion in the comparison with time to time consumption i.e. only when you don't have time for cooking or to visit the restaurant.

This situation depend on hygienic practice of restaurant also storage conditions of package food

No, packaged foods are safer than those prepared in a restaurant, as packaged foods go through additional controls before being packaged and usually undergo additional heat treatment. Products. which are simply prepared in a restaurant, may be subjected to microbiological contamination from the environment or from restaurant staff and become dangerous to the consumer

Yes, I agree with this statement.

No, when it is packed hygienic.

For example, take the aseptic package food.

I have always believed packaged food is safer than that which is restaurant prepared. The simplest reason is there are fewer preparation steps, fewer potential contaminant sources/surfaces, as well as fewer human hands that touch an item before ingestion.

That's what I meant when I answered the question for the first time.

From highest to lowest risk

Traditionally, those preparations that do not undergo heat treatment, such as mayonnaise sauce, whipped cream or salads, have been considered high risk. Medium-risk dishes are those that, although prepared with heat, are later handled and consumed cold, such as custard, custard or fish cakes. Finally, dishes prepared with intense heat and consumed hot, such as stews or casseroles, are considered to be of low health risk.

To this assessment, we should add the hygiene-sanitary risk of the food itself at source: raw foods of animal origin, eggs, chicken and other poultry, raw milk and fish, as well as vegetables (which may be contaminated by irrigation water and soil) are of high risk. A final risk factor would be the degree of food handling as well as the level of training of the food handler.

Dear Darryl Jones . See the following useful link: https://blog.masterpackgroup.com/3-common-contamination-risks-in-food-packaging

Kindly see also the following useful RG link: Article Contamination in food from packaging material

Also check please the following useful link: https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/food-packaging-health/migration

Thanks for sharing, Aref! Despite that, which one poses the greatest health risk; restaurant prepared or packaged food?

Ladies and Gentlemen, the world is not black or white. The health risk depends on the consumer or more precisely on the condition of his microbiome. People that have a very diverse range of bacteria colonies and live in not to sterile environments are more resistant to aflatoxins. People that grow up in sterile environments should go for packed or processed foods.

If you study the historical evolution of disease you see dramatic changes when fridges, antibiotics and fast/processed food were introduced. In the western world in the sixties and seventies, most governments introduced strict laws and regulations to improve hygiene. By doing that we reduced infectious diseases but we increased Heart and circulatory, Cancer, Neurological and Lung diseases dramatically. With the introduction of the human biome research project, by 2008 we realise that we are controlled about 45% by our genetics and cells and 55% by epigenetics including the microbiome and environmental factors. The microbes in our microbiome have about 100 times more genes than our own genetic system. To answer the above question requires many more parameters to be taken into consideration. A yes or no answer is not what happens in the real world!

Depends on food additives and their doses in packaged food or ready-to-eat food, It also depends on wrapping material for food products, storage and transportation conditions

Willi Glettig

What humans ever grew up in a 'sterile" environment?

LOL! As you know Phil; few humans grew up in a "completely" sterile environment. Imperfection and fallibility are human conditions that can be assuaged yet not, at least up this point amid my unending pursuit of knowledge, be completely eliminated.

Peace be with you.

Best,

Darryl

Buying processed foods can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt and fat as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. These foods can also be higher in calories due to the high amounts of added sugar or fat in them.

It is difficult to generalize the risk of contracting an illness from food prepared in a restaurant compared to packaged food. Both types of food can pose a risk of illness if they are not handled, prepared, or stored properly.

In restaurants, food is prepared and handled by multiple people, which increases the risk of contamination if proper food safety practices are not followed. However, restaurants are also subject to strict food safety regulations and inspections to ensure that they are following proper food handling and preparation procedures.

Packaged foods, on the other hand, are processed and packaged in a controlled environment, which reduces the risk of contamination during processing and transportation. However, packaged foods can also become contaminated if they are not handled or stored properly after purchase.

It is important to note that the risk of foodborne illness can vary depending on several factors, including the type of food, the source of the food, and the handling and preparation methods used. It is recommended that individuals practice proper food safety measures when handling and preparing all types of food, including washing hands and surfaces frequently, cooking food to the proper temperature, and storing food at appropriate temperatures.

In the western world, we differentiate between infectious and metabolic diseases. Processed food is produced in a bacterial-controlled environment and so they are safer. However, processed food is highly optimized and lacks phytochemicals, is overloaded with sugars, starches and Omega 6 oils and those eventually initiate inflammation that leads to Chronic and Autoimundiseases. In sophisticated restaurants, they may buy fresh foods from organic producing Fruit and Vegetable Farmer. Real food will bring into your microbiome new bacteria. This helps to make your microbiome more diverse and balanced. This in-turn will reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system.

Willi Glettig

Thanks for all the propaganda. Perhaps you moght read the question.

Yes, Phil Geis, I have read the question! Fortunately, there are people that go with a wider perspective through life. Many researchers appreciate differentiated views. Furthermore, I don't kneejerk, read and correct typing errors in my messages.

Willi Glettig

An engineer ignores the question to pompously hold forth with shallow exaggerations of the type one finds in the popular press.

Dear Phil Geis, You don't know what you are asserting! As Phytochemist, I challenge your grandstanding and to come up with a solid scientific counter-argument that I, shared with many Functional Medicos and nutritionists, have no scientific basis.

A practical "counter argument". ?

1) you offered no argument - just grandstanding - a pompous pedantic comment irrelevant to the question.

2) As proof - you offered you're claim of expertise as a phytochemist and that your alleged unnamed technical pals agree with you. Any of them scientists - or just more engineers?

Very amusing - but I'm glad you have pals.

Phil Geis, You must have a big problem with yourself. Do you have problems with engineers? Just read your toxic comments above. You participate in a public social network and decide to attack a person you don't even know. How smart is that? You saw the name of my holding company and deducted from that, he must be an engineer. Surprise, during 15 years in my earlier career I was turning-around companies in various countries. They failed because of managers or proprietors that abused partners and misjudged their environments. Phil, please start to behave like a competent mature person!

Poor Willi - now the ad hominem. So much easier than addressing the science. However it may be that you as an engineer do not understand science. It is a concept that challenges the scientist to defeat the null hypothesis. As a scientist, I challenged your off topic shallow comment.

"Surprise" - your alleged success in "turning around companies" gives no credibility to your pompous grandstanding above.

Willii, please hold off on your off-subject pompous, pedantic, 1/2 baked posts, and when challenged, do not whine. when your comment (not you) is criticized. Find other ways to pump your ego. Stay within your expertise - an engineer "phytochemist" and take responsibility for your comments.

Phil your mental problems with engineers don't interest anybody! Don't forget you are on Research Gate where many people with diverse cultural backgrounds, ages and professions meet to share data, information, knowledge and opinions so as to arrive at different perspectives to questions. There is no space for snipers. Ok, put up or shut up.

Now Willi the engineer is a pop psychologist. Extending the ad hominem - Typical - no defense of 1/2 baked technical claims. - just another childish ad hominem.

Researchgate brings a diverse expertise to any question - including folks who are eager to offer uninformed opinions. There is room for ignorance for folks such as yourself who know as much about food risks as you do psychology.