Good Food – and Why It Can Make Us Sick
Americans benefit from some of the most exacting laws in the world that regulate our food and drink products. We’d expect these provisions to defend us against many of the infectious diseases that affect many less developed countries, and they do. Yet amazingly, we still report more than 160,000 deaths every year as a result of infectious diseases.
The good news is that many of those diseases can be prevented through extremely simple, inexpensive methods. These methods are not new; in fact, the number one preventive technique that exists today is…handwashing. Seriously. Washing your hands regularly can save you a lot of money on medical bills.
One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or eyes after coming into contact with a cold virus. In addition to colds, more serious diseases like hepatitis A, meningitis and infectious diarrhea can be prevented if people make a habit of washing their hands.
Wash Your Hands
We constantly pick up germs from other people, animals and contaminated surfaces, then infect ourselves by touching our eyes, nose or mouth. Washing your hands gets rid of the germs before you have a chance to spread them to yourself or others.
You should wash your hands often; probably more than you do now. You can't see germs and there’s no way of telling if you’re carrying them around. It’s especially important to wash your hands in the following circumstances:
- Before, during, and after you prepare food.
- Before you eat.
- After you use the toilet.
- After handling animals or animal waste.
- When your hands are dirty.
- More often when someone in your home is sick.
These tips are important no matter where you are – at home, at work or in public places like restaurants or movies.
Cleaning vs. Disinfecting
Another way to help you keep the germs away is to routinely clean and disinfect surfaces. Cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing. In most cases, cleaning with soap and water is adequate to remove dirt and most germs. However, in other situations disinfecting provides an extra margin of safety.
You should disinfect areas where there are high concentrations of dangerous germs and a possibility that they will be spread to others. While surfaces may look clean, many infectious germs may be lurking around. Given the right conditions some germs can live on surfaces for hours and even for days. Disinfectants, including household bleach, have ingredients that destroy bacteria and other germs.
The kitchen is one of the most suspect places in the house because of the infectious bacteria that can be found in raw food such as chicken and there is a potential for germs to spread to other people when they touch surfaces where food has been prepared.
Another potential hot zone is the bathroom. Routinely cleaning and disinfecting the bathroom reduces odors and may help prevent the spread of germs when someone in the house has a diarrheal illness. If there are children in the house, remember to disinfect any area where you change diapers or throw away used diapers.
Clean and Disinfect Your Surfaces
- Before you start, read the labels and safety precautions on your cleaning products. Follow them.
- Wear rubber gloves if you’re cleaning up body fluids such as blood, vomit or feces, particularly if you have cuts or scratches on your hands or if a family member has AIDS, hepatitis B, or another blood disease.
- First clean the surface thoroughly with soap and water or another cleaner.
- Second, if you need to use a disinfectant, apply it to the area and let it stand for a few minutes (or longer, depending on product recommendations) so it has time to kill the most germs.
- Wipe the surface with paper towels that can be thrown away or cloth towels that can be washed afterwards.
- Store cleaners and disinfectants out of the reach of children.
- Remember, even if you use gloves, wash your hands after cleaning or disinfecting surfaces.
Prevent Food-Borne Illnesses
In addition to handwashing, cleaning and disinfecting, there are four main ways to prevent food contamination.
1. Use caution when you buy food.
- Shop for groceries when you can take them home right away – especially if it’s hot out, when food spoils quickly.
- Don’t buy raw or unpasteurized milk or juices.
- Watch out for drips. Eggs, meat, seafood and poultry are most likely to contain bacteria; don’t let their juices drip onto your other foods.
- Buy perishable food (such as meat, eggs and milk) last so it has less time to spoil before you get it home.
2. Store food properly.
Store eggs, raw meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home
Use containers to prevent contaminating other foods or kitchen surfaces.
Keep the refrigerator set at 40° F and the freezer at 0° F.
Clean and disinfect the refrigerator and freezer regularly.
3. Use special precautions when preparing and cooking food.
- Wash your hands and clean and disinfect kitchen surfaces before, during and after handling, cooking and serving food.
- Defrost frozen food on a plate either in the refrigerator or in a microwave, but not on the counter.
- Cook food immediately after defrosting.
- Use different dishes and utensils for raw foods than you use for cooked foods.
- Wash raw fruits and vegetables before eating them.
Cooking Guidelines
Eggs: Cook eggs until they are firm and not runny. Do not eat raw or partially cooked eggs or any other foods that include raw or partially cooked eggs.
Poultry: Cook poultry until it has an internal temperature of 180° F. You can tell it’s done when the juices run clear and the meat is white in the middle. Never eat rare poultry.
Fish: Cook fish until it is opaque or white, and you can flake it off with a fork.
Meat: Cook ground meat to 160° F; it’s done when it is brown inside. This is especially critical with hamburger meat.
4. Cool and store leftovers right away.
- Because harmful bacteria grow at room temperature keep hot food hot at 140° For higher, and keep cold food cold at 40° F or cooler. This is especially important during picnics and buffets.
- Promptly refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow containers or wrapped tightly in bags.
- Do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours.
- “When in doubt, throw it out. ”If you aren’t sure if food is still good, get rid of it.
Whether or not you realize it, almost everyone has had a food-borne illness. Most food contains some natural bacteria, and improper handling gives the bacteria a chance to grow. Food can also be contaminated with bacteria from other sources. People get sick from contaminated foods at restaurants and at home.
Each year food-borne illnesses cause fever, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea in almost 80 million people in the US, or about 1 in 3 people. And these illnesses also kill up to 9,000 Americans every year. If food is handled and prepared safely, most of those can be avoided.
This article was adapted from materials provided by the CDC/National Center for Infectious Diseases and the USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center. Article Created: 2003-07-14
Article Updated: 2003-08-14
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