The holidays are a time of giving and being with one’s family. Most of the time that consists of sitting around the table sharing a great meal together. Whether you have a large group to feed or it’s just a few; good food preparation is vital to keeping a happy and healthy family together for years to come. A possibly dangerous, but preventative public health problem is contracting a foodborne illness or infection in your very own kitchen. Symptoms can vary from a mild upset stomach to serious problems involving vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dehydration and in some extremely serious cases abortion and death. Treating for food poisoning varies on the type of infection, if any of the serious symptoms have become apparent it is important to contact a doctor right away, it could save you or a loved one’s life.
HOW DOES FOOD BECOME CONTAMINATED?
There are many ways that food can become contaminated, as The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 3,000 annual deaths and 48 million sickened by foodborne disease. These opportunities for food contamination can happen throughout the food-making process when it is being produced, prepared, and processed.
As it is being produced and prepared these issues can arise:
- Healthy animals may have intestinal issues which contaminate the carcass during butchering.
- Vegetable and fruits become contaminated when rinsed with water that has been mixed with manure or human sewage.
- Salmonella can contaminate hen’s ovaries and thus contaminate the egg.
When the food is processed, there are more opportunities for foodborne illness to take place:
- Unwashed hands while handling food can introduced hepatitis A and norovirus.
- In the kitchen, microbes (a bacterium that causes disease or fermentation) can move from one food to another by using the same knife or utensils to handle them.
- If cooked food touches anything raw it can become re-contaminated.
- Microbes can multiply at 17 million in 12 hours, leaving food out overnight is extremely dangerous.
For more information on causes for food poisoning visit: https://www.tabibmd.com/symptoms-conditions/foodborne-illness/
HOW DO YOU PREVENT FOODBORNE ILLNESS?
After seeing all the varying causes for foodborne illnesses, it may seem difficult to know where to start in protecting yourself and your family. When food is being produced, and prepared it is out of our hands on just how it is being treated and it’s even harder to see if the meat or vegetables we pick out at the supermarket are healthy or not.
Taking Action at the Grocery Store
Here are some tips from the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) on being vigilant outside of the kitchen:
- Buy from a retailer who follows proper food handling. Look around the facility and get a general impression of its cleanliness. Reading reviews online can also be helpful indicators on the store’s or restaurant’s health code.
- When at the grocery store separate the meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods. It’s best to put them in separate plastic bags and keep them away during checkout and when placing them in grocery bags.
- Be mindful and check for dents, cracks or loose lids when by buying cans and jars. While food in cans will keep for a long time any tampering or damage can expose the food inside and contaminate it.
- When buying frozen food check also for damaged or torn bags. Avoid food that is above the frost line and if the bag is transparent check if the food has been crystallized. This can mean it’s been frozen for a long period of time, thawed, or refrozen.
- Check off your grocery list by buying frozen and perishable foods last as they’ll have less time to contaminate any of other food in your shopping cart.
- Look at the eggs you buy carefully. Make sure all the eggs are not cracked and clean.
- After buying groceries it’s important to get perishable foods refrigerated ‘within 2 hours’ food experts say. Adjust to 1 hour if the temperature is 90 degrees and over. If the temperature is warm in your car keep your food in the passenger seat instead of the trunk. As said before microbes can multiply very quickly in a short amount of time and heat quickens the process.
While these tips are great and will help fight against food poisoning in the initial stages of the food-making process it’s important to have peace of mind when you’re buying food and knowing if it was handled properly before it makes it to your shopping bag. There are many food safety consumer organizations that could benefit from your interest. Non-profits like The Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention (CFI) and STOP Foodborne Illness are organizations that focus on educating public awareness. For more information and more organizations visit this link. It’s imperative that we stop food poisoning from starting at the source so that we can focus on protecting from it once in the kitchen.
Food Safety Techniques in the Kitchen
Once you make it to your kitchen the most apparent thing on your mind is probably getting your recipe right. No one wants to think about the possibility of getting sick especially during this time of year when cooking can bring the family together. While making food with a cautious eye is ideal, don’t let the fear of foodborne illnesses get to you. Many of the tips for keeping food from being contaminated comes naturally to many cooks and they’re most likely practices you already implement in your daily life. However, it’s good to keep them in mind or keep a reminder for yourself as you prepare your holiday meal or any meal in general.
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds minimum before handling meat, fruit or vegetables.
- Wash utensils, counter tops and surfaces before and after use.
- Keep marinated food in the refrigerator, do not let it out at room temperature.
- Do not over pack food in the refrigerator, cold air should be able to circulate and keep all food cold.
- Assist children with washing their hands before eating.
- Use clean towels and sponges to clean surfaces, if dirty they spread bacteria. To keep a clean sponge, microwave for 1 minute to kill bacteria and replace frequently.
- Rinse fruit and vegetables before preparing, but do not rinse raw meat, poultry, or seafood as the raw juices can splash and contaminate other food and surfaces.
- In the fridge, separate types of food from one another. Many fridges have compartments for keeping food. Remember to keep poultry, seafood, and raw meat in the bottom compartment or shelf so juices do not spill onto other foods.
- Labelling your cutting boards can help in keeping the meat separated from the vegetables and lessen the confusion.
- Use a food thermometer to determine how cooked your meat is. Different foods cook at different temperatures, check this link to see what your meal temperature should be at: https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html
- Keep a clean thermometer for testing food and make sure to put it into the thickest part of the meat so as not to touch the bone.
- Temperatures between 40°F and 140°F are dangerous and cause rapid bacterial growth. Remember to keep cold foods 40°F and below and hot food 140°F and above.
- Keep refrigerator 40°F or below and freezer at 0°F for safe food consumption.
- Reheat leftovers to 165°F minimum.
These practices and tips are many of the ways to keep your kitchen from foodborne illnesses. If you have more questions and concerns on these topics check out Dr. Tabib’s page on Foodborne Illnesses and Prevention. Sometimes even with all these precautions it’s impossible to know if the food you’ve prepared is safe and not contaminated and in some cases food poisoning can still arise. If you or a loved one is having symptoms that range from vomiting to fevers, chills, and severe dehydration do not hesitate to get in contact with a doctor. Anyone can be susceptible to getting foodborne illnesses, although some are likely to contract it than others and should be more aware, this includes: infants and children, pregnant women, older adults, and those with weaker immune systems. In many cases increasing fluid and electrolyte intake will be prescribed, but for others it’s best to detect and act early as it can lead to serious complications such as, but not limited to, arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome. Early treatment with antibiotics or even hospitalization for rare cases like HUS (Hemolytic uremic syndrome)can potentially save a life or prevent severe complications.
Dr. Tabib, gastroenterologist Los Angeles, and his staff want to wish you happy and healthy holiday season especially while you sit and enjoy a meal with your family. Foodborne illness should be the last thing on anyone’s mind during this time of a year and by keeping these simple tips in mind and staying aware at the grocery store and at home you can stop any illness and infection in its tracks.
