Handle Food Safely to Decrease Chances of Getting Sick
We are officially into the picnic and grilling season. Everyone loves a good cookout. Safe handling and cooking of food can help prevent food related illness. There are things you can do to avoid potential problems when handling food to decrease your chances of getting sick.
Food poisoning is the common term used to describe the symptoms related to eating contaminated food resulting in illness. Food poisoning is common. The CDC reports 1 in 6 Americans will have a food-related illness per year. Many cases occur as a result of food being contaminated by a virus, which comes from someone who was carrying that virus and then handled the food. Careful, frequent hand washing is a must for people who prepare food. People who are ill should avoid preparing food. Less commonly the food can be contaminated by bacteria where it is processed. Other food-related illnesses are caused by improper handling, storage or cooking of food.
Most food has some bacteria on it but the levels are low and usually are not a problem. Acid in our stomach and a properly functioning immune system help protect us. However, under the right conditions (food sitting in a warm spot or sitting too long unfrozen before preparing it), bacteria can grow and produce toxins or grow to levels that allow them to invade and infect, causing illness.
Bacteria tend to grow better in a warm environment. In order to decrease bacterial growth, it is important to keep food refrigerated (less than 40 degrees). This is especially critical for foods that contain mayonnaise, dairy products, eggs or meats. Some bacteria produce toxins on food that cause acute vomiting and diarrhea that is short lived. In these cases, the bacteria do not survive and it is not a true infection. The symptoms are from the toxins. On the other hand, bacteria (like salmonella) can survive in the human body and cause a true infection that can last longer than 24 hours.
Meats, especially ground meats like hamburger, tend to be contaminated with E-coli which are common in the intestinal tracts of animals. Vegetables that have been fertilized with animal manure also have a risk of carrying E-Coli and other bacteria.
Beverages can be contaminated also. Pasteurization of milk, juices and cider greatly reduces the chance of illness. Raw unpasteurized beverages or water taken from a stream or lake have a much higher chance of causing illness. Contaminated water is more likely to be a source of parasites that can cause illness. Water should be properly treated before drinking.
Some important ways to prevent food related illness during the picnic and grilling season include:
- Keeping the food cold until it is eaten or until it is time to be cooked
- Not keeping raw meat in the refrigerator more than a couple days.
- Thawing meat in the refrigerator (not on a counter top)
- Cooking food to an adequate temperature of 145 degrees for cuts of beef and pork and 165 degrees for ground meats and poultry (buy a meat thermometer)
- Not using the same plates or utensils to serve the cooked food that touched the raw food
- Washing counter tops that touched raw food
- Washing fresh vegetables with clean water
- Not letting anyone handle food who has been ill.
Keeping foods separated during preparation will decrease chances of contaminating foods that are not cooked. Careful hand washing is very important before touching food, after using the rest room, changing diapers, and after handling raw meat.
Safe food handling can be the factor that makes your cookout or family reunion a success rather than an intestinal disaster. Stay healthy my friends.
Michael Shattuck, MD, is an emergency department physician at ThedaCare Medical Center-Berlin
