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Food poisoning is estimated to cause 76 million infections, 300,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 or more deaths annually – but there are many ways to prevent food poisoning!
The most common forms of foodborne illnesses are infections caused by microscopic agents that thrive in or on food that has not been properly handled. Unwashed, raw, or undercooked foods are the most vulnerable to this type of contamination. In this country, the usual contaminants are bacteria (including various species of Shigella, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus; Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus, and certain strains of Escherichia coli) and viruses (most commonly the Norwalk or Norwalk-like viruses).
Although many people assume that all foodborne illnesses are “food poisoning,” food poisoning is only one type of foodborne illness. True food poisoning is caused by a harmful contaminant, such as a toxin or a chemical. For example, food poisoning can result from deadly toxins produced by poisonous mushrooms or by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum (which results in botulism).
Food-related infections can also be caused by parasites, but such infections are more likely to be encountered abroad in areas where food-handling practices are less stringent than in the United States.
Preventing Food Poisoning at Home
Proper food-handling practices and personal hygiene are key to preventing foodborne illness and food poisoning. Here are some prevention tips you should follow when choosing, storing, preparing, and serving food.
Food Poisoning Prevention Tip #1: Shopping
- Avoid packaging that is ripped or leaky when buying perishable products.
Select perishable items last.
Choose items that have not reached their expiration date.
Pass up cans that are bulging or dented.
Do not purchase fresh, pre-stuffed, whole poultry.
Drink only pasteurized milk and juice.
Check fresh food for mold.
Food Poisoning Prevention Tip #2: Storage
- Refrigerate food at 40° F or below; freeze food at 0° F or below.
- Refrigerate oils containing garlic or herbs.
- Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods to prevent bacteria from spreading; seal these foods in containers or bags to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other foods.
- Avoid overstuffing the refrigerator, so that air may circulate.
- Save cooked leftovers for no more than four days.
- Freeze or cook fresh poultry, seafood, and ground meat within two days of purchase. Freeze or cook whole cuts of meat within three to five days.
Food Poisoning Prevention Tip #3: Preparation
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
- Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator (never at room temperature), then cook immediately. For faster thawing, use the microwave or submerge foods in cold water in a sealed container; cook immediately afterwards.
- Always refrigerate food that is being marinated.
- Avoid cross-contamination: Use one cutting board and set of utensils to prepare any raw meat, fish, poultry, or eggs for a meal. Use a separate cutting board and utensils for all other ingredients (such as vegetables or bread).
- Use strict sanitary procedures when home canning. Boil home-canned food before eating, if possible, to destroy any potential microbes.
- Clean fruits and vegetables thoroughly with water before eating.
- Sanitize cutting boards and countertops with a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1quart of water.
Food Poisoning Prevention Tip #4: Cooking
- Thoroughly cook meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. (Cook eggs until the yolk is firm.) Use a meat thermometer to ensure proper internal cooking temperatures of meat, poultry, and casseroles; insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food, as far as possible from bone, fat, or gristle.
- Do not serve raw or lightly cooked sprouts. Avoid them or cook them thoroughly.
- Reheat foods to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Cook steaks, roasts, and chops of beef, veal, and lamb to an internal temperature of 145°F; all cuts of pork, to 160°F.
- Cook whole poultry, as well as poultry thighs and wings, to an internal temperature of 180°F; breasts, to 170°F.
- Cook ground meat to an internal temperature of 160°F; ground poultry, to 165°F.
Food Poisoning Prevention Tip #5: Serving
- Hold hot foods at 140°F or higher and cold foods at 40°F or lower.
- Use warming trays and chafing dishes to serve hot foods at a buffet; hold cold foods on ice.
- Serve food on clean plates that have not touched raw meat, fish, poultry, or eggs.
- Refrigerate foods promptly after serving. Discard perishables left at room temperature for two hours or more; one hour if the room or outdoor temperature is 90°F or above.
- Never give honey to a baby because of the potential for botulism poisoning.
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