With more cases of foodborne illness being reported, there is growing concern about the safety of our food supply. The recent investigations to locate food sources of listeria and e. coli infections may cause us to think twice about where out food comes from and how it is handled. In the recent e.coli outbreak, 97 cases have been reported with 43 hospitalization in 6 states, according to the CDC report. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported. Currently, the suspected contaminated food has been pulled from the fast-food chain, but the source of contamination is yet to be officially confirmed.
Food safety concerns everyone. Learning how to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illness is worth the effort. September is Food Safety Education Month. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), each year an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (48 million people) get sick, about 128,000 people are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases.
How to Protect Yourself from Foodborne Illness
How can you protect yourself from being part of the statistics? Let’s look at some basics of food safety. Follow these four steps to protect yourself.
- Clean! – Keep your hands, work surfaces, and utensils clean. Wash your hands and work surfaces before, during, and after preparing food. This helps to kill germs that can cause foodborne illness.
- Separate! – Separate uncooked meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from ready-to-eat foods in your shopping cart and refrigerator. Use separate cutting boards for meats and produce.
- Cook! – Make sure food is cooked to the proper internal temperature by using a food thermometer. This ensures harmful bacteria are killed.
- Chill!.– Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and use a fridge thermometer to make sure it stays there. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (or within 1 hour if food is exposed to a temperature above 90°F, like in a hot car or outside on a hot day).
Foodborne Illness: Who’s at Risk?
We know pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for foodborne illness. However, anyone can be the victim of food poisoning. Knowing where your food comes from, how it’s handled and prepared can help. But you won’t always know that information, especially if you rely on restaurants and foodservices for meals.
Foodservice operations must be diligent in purchasing foods from reputable suppliers, handling foods properly, and cooking them to the proper temperature. Looking for a sanitation rating, if available in your state, is a good place to start. Inspections by county health departments help to spot potential sources of contamination and require owners to comply with basic food safety standards.
Foodborne Pathogens and Food
A pathogen is a bacteria, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease. Most of our exposure to foodborne pathogens come from foods like fish or produce that has come in contact with contaminated water. We can also be exposed to these pathogens through improperly canned foods or foods not being cooked to the proper temperature such as meat or eggs. The process of pasteurization and cooking helps minimize our exposure to these pathogens.
Here is a table with a few of the most commonly reported foodborne pathogens, foods most likely to be contaminated with these, and symptoms that may result from those pathogens.
| Disease/Pathogen (type) | Foods Commonly Linked | Common Symptoms |
| Hepatitis A (viral) | Ready to eat foods, shellfish from contaminated water | Mild fever, weakness, nausea, abdominal pain, jaundice |
| Norovirus gastroenteritis (viral) | Undercooked shellfish from contaminated water, leafy greens, or fresh fruits | Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps |
| Listeriosis from Listeria (bacterial) | Soft cheeses, deli meats, hotdogs, and raw sprouts | Miscarriage in pregnant women. Sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis in newborns |
| Hemorrhagic Colitis (bacterial) | Ground beef (raw and undercooked). Contaminated produce. | Diarrhea (bloody), abdominal cramps, kidney failure (in severe cases) |
| Salmonellosis (bacterial) | Undercooked poultry and raw eggs, meat, dairy products, produce | Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, fever |
| Shigellosis from E. coli (bacterial) | Food that has come in contact with contaminated water. Undercooked meat and raw vegetables. | Bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, fever |
| Staphylococcal Gastroenteritis (bacterial) | Meat, poultry, milk, and dairy. Foods requiring handling during preparation (such as salads, sandwiches, baked goods) | Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, low grade fever and chills |
| Vibrio Gastroenteritis (bacterial) | Oysters from contaminated water | Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, low grade fever and chills |
| Campylobacter (bacterial) | Undercooked poultry, meat, or eggs. Contaminated vegetables, and raw milk | Nausea, vomiting, fever, bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps |
| Clostridium perfringens (bacterial) | Raw or undercooked meat and poultry, dishes made with meat and poultry such as stews and gravies | Diarrhea, severe abdominal pain |
| Botulism (bacterial) | Incorrectly canned food, reduced oxygen packaged food, temperature-abused vegetables such as baked potatoes, and untreated garlic and oil mixtures | Initially – nausea and vomiting. Later – weakness, double vision, difficulty in speaking and swallowing. Can be fatal. |
Foodborne Illness: What to Do if You Become Infected
If you experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain or fever and suspect you may have eaten a contaminated food, seek medical assistance, especially if you are at high risk. If you have an idea which food may have made you sick, let the medical staff know. It will help them to determine which type of foodborne illness you may have so they can test and treat accordingly.
Most foodborne infections will resolve on their own over time (about 12 to 48 hours). It may take longer if you have a weakened immune system. In some cases, antibiotics may be necessary to help kill the pathogen or parasite that is causing the infection.
Treatment of foodborne illness usually involves plenty of liquids to stay hydrated. This helps combat the fluids lost due to vomiting and diarrhea. Choosing beverages like Pedialyte® or Gatorade® can help you replenish lost electrolytes. Foods like broth, gelatin, and fruit juice popsicles are good choices to get fluids and may be better tolerated than solid foods.
Preventing Foodborne Illness
As with any illness, prevention is the best strategy. It is important that everyone involved in handling food follow best practices to avoid contamination from growing to harvest and transport to preparation. Fortunately, there are several safeguards in place in the U.S., but food contamination can still occur. Be particularly careful if traveling to other countries. Even though a foodborne illness rarely results in death, it can ruin a vacation and make you feel bad for days.
More information can be found on the following sites.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/food-poisoning.html
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21167-food-poisoning
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases/clostridium-perfringens.html
