Food-Borne Illness and Safety

I previously wrote about food contamination following an outbreak caused by raw onions on burgers. This was another interesting presentation at the Culinary Medicine conference with information worth sharing.

The statistics:

48 million people are sickened yearly from food-borne illnesses resulting in 

128,000 hospitalizations and

   3,000 deaths.

These numbers apply to the U.S.

Worldwide, 600 million cases occur and 420,000 deaths.

That’s almost 1 in 10 people worldwide, with about ⅓ occurring in children under the age of 5.

Food laboratory where a variety of foods are being tested for contamination. Almost any food can be affected.

This is a vast public health challenge.

What foods can cause food-borne illnesses?

In short, just about any food.

No longer do we see meat or animal products as the primary culprits.

The list has grown over recent years and includes

• Beef

• Poultry

• Shellfish

• Leafy greens

• Fresh fruit

• Sprouts

And even dog food, which has been a source of Salmonella poisoning.

Spices

An additional concern has been the presence of lead in spices, such as cinnamon, leading to lead poisoning. Lead is added to increase the weight of spices that are sold in bulk.

Other spices that have tested positive for lead include

• Chili powder

• Coriander

• Paprika

• Black pepper (ground)

• Saffron

• Turmeric

Beware of ground spices that may be contaminated with lead. Buy from a reputable company.

Spices that come from outside the US or that are in unlabeled containers are the primary ones found to contain lead. Buying spices from a reputable US company is safer due to more regulations regarding lead content.

General guidelines to protect against food-borne illnesses

The further food has traveled to get to your grocery store increases the chance of contamination from multiple handlers or the possibility of improper storage and refrigeration.

The more processed food is (think pre-cut and peeled produce), the more people have handled the product, and the greater the chance for contamination. 

Sprouts are the food having the highest risk of contamination. This is due to bacteria being in the seed. Their humid growing environment is a breeding ground for bacteria. Of the 3 presenters on this topic, all 3 stated they will not eat any sprouts.

The 4 C’s of Prevention:

Clean

Cross-contamination

Cook

Chill

To protect you and your family, follow these rules.

1. Clean  

Wash your hands and food prior to preparation.

Wash produce vigorously under running water, even if it has been pre-washed or triple-washed

Keep food prep clean by first washing your hands and washing all produce under running water.

2. Avoid cross-contamination

Use separate designated cutting boards for animal and plant products. Keep animal products separate from produce. Always wash your hands after handling any raw meat or animal products and clean utensils that have been used before using them on other food items. For meat, it is preferable to use a cutting board that can be put in the dishwasher.

Keep separate cutting boards for animal products and plant products to avoid cross-contamination. These can be color-coded.

3. Cook

Ensure adequate heating of animal products to the proper temperature (given in Fahrenheit)

• Poultry 165 

• Ground meats, eggs 160 

• Beef and pork 145

• Fish and shellfish 145

4. Chill

Food should be refrigerated within 2 hours after it has been cooked or prepared.

Your refrigerator temperature should be set under 40 degrees and 

freezer temperature less than 0 degrees.

Most bacteria grow at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees.

Following these 4 safety habits will go a long way in keeping you and your family safe!