Forget Vitamins

The summer picnic season is upon us and with it comes outdoor eating and the need for food handling precautions.

Recognizing the symptoms of food poisoning

We've all heard about the food recalls in the past year but we don't hear much about the number of accidental food poisoning cases.  This is mostly due to improper diagnosis where food poisoning is mistaken for flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever.  Unless people recognize their illness is actually caused by bacteria or other pathogens in their food, they may not seek medical treatment and the incident goes unreported.

Age and physical condition are import factors

Some persons are at a higher risk because of age or physical condition.  The elderly and the very young are at greater risk but so are pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients undergoing treatment.  While some become ill, others with good immune systems may remain symptom free.

How Bacteria gets in food

Assume that all uncooked meat contains bacteria because it originated from what was once live chicken or cattle living in unclean environments.  Likewise, other raw meats, seafood, and eggs are not sterile.  This includes the plastic wrappers and containers where bacteria may be present.  Remember also that fresh produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, and melons need to be thoroughly washed.

Avoid cross-contamination with ready-to-eat foods by preventing exposure to meat juices, previously used tools, or food handlers with unclean hands.

Be Food Safe

So let's review some food safety measures.

Food handling goals

Clean -- Wash hands and surfaces often.
Separate -- Don’t Cross Contaminate.
Cook -- Cook to proper temperatures.
Chill -- Refrigerate promptly.

Shopping reminders

Do not purchase canned goods that are dented, cracked, or bulging.  These are the warning signs that dangerous bacteria may be growing in the can.

Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery-shopping cart and in your refrigerator.

Buy cold foods last.  Drive immediately home, or to the picnic site from the grocery store.  If the destination is farther away than 30 minutes, bring a cooler with ice or commercial freezing gels from home; place perishables in it.

Food preparation 

Cutting boards

• Always use a clean cutting board.
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood when possible.
• Replace worn cutting boards as proper cleaning may be difficult.

Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food:

• In the refrigerator.
• In the microwave then cook the food immediately.

Food may also be thawed in cold water.  Be sure that the sink or container that holds food is clean before submerging food.  Two methods may be used when thawing:

• Completely submerge airtight wrapped package and change water every 30 minutes.
• Completely submerge airtight wrapped food in constantly running cold water.

Refrigerate or cook food immediately after thawing.

Marinades may be used to tenderize or add flavor to food.  When using marinades:

• Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
• Use food-grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers to marinate food.
• Sauce that is used to marinate raw meat, poultry, fish or seafood should not be used on cooked foods, unless it is boiled before applying.
• Never reuse marinades for other foods.

Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other food.  Check temperature in several places to be sure the food is evenly heated.  Wash the thermometer with hot, soapy water after use.

Several types of thermometers are available, including:

• Oven-safe -- insert 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep in the thickest part of the food, at the beginning of the cooking time. It remains there throughout cooking and is not appropriate for thin food.
• Dial instant-read -- not designed to stay in the food during cooking. Insert probe the full length of the sensing area, usually 2 to 2 1/2 inches. If measuring the temperature of a thin food, such as a hamburger patty or boneless chicken breast, insert probe sideways with the sensing device in the center. About 15 to 20 seconds are required for the temperature to be accurately displayed.
• Digital instant-read -- not designed to stay in food during cooking.  The heat sensing device is in the tip of the probe.  Place the tip of the probe in the center of the thickest part of the food, at least 1/2 inch deep. About 10 seconds are required for the temperature to be accurately displayed.

Note:  Never partially cook food for finishing later because you increase the risk of bacterial growth on the food.  Bacteria are killed when foods reach a safe internal temperature.

Food transportation and temperatures

• Keep cold food cold. Place cold food in cooler with a cold source such as ice or commercial freezing gels.  Use plenty of ice or commercial freezing gels.  Cold food should be kept cold, held at or below 40 °F.
• Hot food should be kept hot, at or above 140 °F.  Wrap well and place in an insulated container.

Serving

• Use clean containers and utensils to store and serve food.
• When a dish is empty or nearly empty, replace with fresh container of food, removing the previous container.

Cleanup

• Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Immediately refrigerate or freeze remaining leftovers in shallow containers.

Steps to take when food poisoning is suspected

Seek treatment as necessary.  If the victim is in an "at risk" group, seek medical care immediately.  Likewise, if symptoms persist or are severe (such as bloody diarrhea, excessive nausea and vomiting, or high temperature), call your doctor or seek emergency room treatment immediately.

Preserve the evidence.

If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, mark "DANGER" on the wrapper, and freeze it.  Save all the packaging materials, such as cans or cartons.  Write down the food type, the date, other identifying marks on the package, the time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred.  Save any identical unopened products.

Notify the local health department if the suspect food was served at a large gathering, from a restaurant or other food service facility, or if a commercial product is suspected.

IF a USDA-inspected product is suspected and you have all the packaging, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-800-535-4555; Washington, DC 202-720-3333; TTY 1-800-256-7072.

To find out more about food safety, visit the USDA befoodsafe.gov website.