Eating Can Make You Sick

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 5,000 Americans die every year from something they ate? The news concerning illnesses caused by spinach and by eating at some fast-food restaurants in the past year have made us think about food safety. By handling, preparing and storing food properly, you can help protect your family at home.

Food Poisoning

In this article, we will talk about three types of food poisoning:

Salmonella

Most of us know about salmonella bacteria. The most common form of exposure to salmonella bacteria is food poisoning. Every summer, we hear reminders about leaving milk, dairy products, foods with mayonnaise, and processed meats outside and exposing these foods to the heat. Salmonella bacteria is found in these foods and improper handling can make you sick. And they can also make your pets sick as well. Salmonella is also common in foods that contain raw eggs or undercooked chicken and turkey.

Food poisoning symptoms, such as diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, usually occur within eight to 48 hours after eating contaminated food. In most cases, the symptoms will last about three to five days and you do not need medical treatment. If you have severe symptoms, the symptoms last longer than five days, if you are pregnant, if you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, or your child has symptoms, dehydration becomes a serious risk. In these cases, you should talk to your physician.

Salmonella bacteria is killed by cooking food thoroughly. You should wash your hands after handling raw meat and also clean the kitchen counters with disinfectant to prevent spreading salmonella.

Botulism

Botulism food poisoning, caused by another type of bacteria, requires immediate medical care. One form of botulism is a rare but serious food illness caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Around 100 cases of food botulism are reported in the US every year, usually the result of eating contaminated home-canned food.

Symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness. Infants may appear lethargic, have a poor appetite, are constipated, have a weak cry and poor muscle tone.

Symptoms generally appear 18-36 hours after eating contaminated food. The botulism toxin can cause muscle paralysis and respiratory failure. That is why it is important to seek medical care immediately if you suspect you are infected.

E. Coli Infection

E. Coli can also cause food poisoning. Most types of E. Coli bacteria live harmlessly in our digestive tracts. Disease causing E. Coli spreads to humans by contact with human or animal feces that is in contaminated food or in contaminated water.

Eating contaminated, undercooked ground beef is the way most people in the US become infected with E. Coli. E. Coli can also spread by raw meat contact with your hands, cooking utensils, cutting boards and other food preparation surfaces. Raw fruits and vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, and alfalfa sprouts and unpasteurized juices, like apple cider, that have contact with animal feces also cause E. Coli infections.

E. coli can also be spread person-to-person through direct contact or shared food when an infected person does not properly wash his/her hands.

Symptoms can develop within eight days of exposure, however most of the time symptoms appear within three to four days. The diarrhea usually lasts about one week in adults and up to three weeks in children. It is important to prevent dehydration caused by the diarrhea. The infection will usually go away on its own. However, if you develop a severe blood problem like anemia or kidney problems, you need to see a physician immediately.

What Can You Do?

• Boil home-canned foods for ten minutes before eating. High temperatures destroy the botulism toxin so this will help to ensure safe food.

• To prevent botulism in infants, do not give honey to children until they are one year old.

• Bacteria can get into your cooked food if the cooked food touches a dirty utensil or countertop that was used to prepare the uncooked meat. It is important to wash your hands, utensils and countertops before and after you handle raw meat and when you prepare fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Do not use the food in dented or damaged cans.

• Make sure dairy products you eat and drink have been pasteurized.

• Wash your hands after you go to the bathroom or touch animals.

• Rinse fresh vegetables and fruits before you eat or cook them.

• Thaw frozen poultry in the refrigerator before you cook it. Do not let it stand at room temperature.

• Heat foods to the appropriate temperature. Pork should be heated to an internal temperature of at least 160° F and poultry should be heated to an internal temperature of 170° F. Never partially cook meat or poultry and then finish cooking it later.

• Refrigerate leftover meat, seafood, dairy products, eggs and poultry as soon as possible. Do not let these items sit out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours.

• Buy produce that is not bruised or damaged.

• If you buy pre-packaged produce, like bagged lettuce or spinach, a half of melon, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, make sure the items are in the refrigerated area of the produce section.

• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from meat, poultry and seafood.

• Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator. This includes strawberries, lettuce, herbs, mushrooms and produce that is pre-cut or pre-peeled.

• You may want to disinfect cutting boards and countertops periodically. You can also run sponges and plastic or non-porous cutting boards through the dishwasher after use.

Written by Paula Spurway, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Originally published in March 2007. Resources include Blue Health Connection (Food Poisoning and Cover Story from October 30, 2006) and www.webmd.com (Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling).