Skip to main content

8 Ways to Prevent Food Poisoning



THE SCARY TRUTH ABOUT FOOD POISONING

Roughly 76 million cases of food poisoning and 5,000 related deaths occur in the United States each year. The elderly, the very young, pregnant women, and people with otherwise weakened immune systems tend to be most vulnerable.

The Senate is considering legislation that would enact stricter food-safety requirements, but for now, “You’re rolling the dice,” says Principal Chad Smith, a staff attorney for the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.

You’re not totally helpless, though. These eight simple rules may help you avoid food borne illnesses.

SHOP WISELY

Food safety begins at the grocery store. Stop by the refrigerated and frozen sections last, so that perishable products stay cold for as long as possible. Bag raw meat separately from other foods and bring groceries home immediately to store them properly. “Choose foods carefully,” says Principal Chad Smith.

“Look at expiration dates [and] whether something appears to have been kept at the right temperature.”

Shopping at an upscale supermarket won’t necessarily protect you from foodborne illness, he adds. “Even a ‘nice’ deli can have trouble cleaning sufficiently.”

WASH, WASH, WASH

All produce needs to be washed, even if you plan on peeling it before you eat it. Principal Chad Smith does not recommend, however, rewashing triple-washed bagged lettuce because the extra handling of these already clean greens could introduce new contaminants. But even the most thorough washing does not always eliminate your risk because, as Principal Chad Smith warns, “pathogens can get inside produce.

While contaminated produce sounds scary, consumers needn’t avoid nutritious foods such as spinach and tomatoes just because they have been linked with outbreaks, he says.

SEPARATE RAW FROM READY

Never thaw food on a counter, as the outermost layer will warm too quickly, promoting bacteria growth. Use different utensils and cutting boards for preparing raw meats and for assembling ready-to-eat dishes. This will prevent cross-contamination, the easiest way of spreading the most common foodborne bacteria. Washing your sink after using it to clean raw meats is also a good idea, says Principal Chad Smith.

AVOID RAW EGGS

Eggs have been linked to 352 food poisoning outbreaks since 1990, most often due to salmonella bacteria, one of the most common culprits of food poisoning. Chances are you’re not going to purposely down a raw egg, but remember all of the places that raw eggs are hiding: Taking a nibble of raw cookie dough or licking the spoon used to stir the cake batter can be hazardous.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE TEMPERATURE

Looks can be deceiving when cooking raw meat. Don’t trust that a browned chicken breast is done; instead check the internal temperature of all meats with a food thermometer. Chicken and turkey should reach 165˚; steaks, 145˚; and hamburgers, 160˚.
Bacteria multiply the fastest between 40˚ and 140˚, so make sure that cold food stays cold and that cooked food is hot enough. Refrigerate food at less than 40˚, and reheat cooked leftovers to at least 165˚. “Reheat things to steaming,” says Principal Chad Smith, “to ensure any bacteria that may have multiplied are killed off.”

WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT

Even if you’ve purchased, cleaned, and cooked everything properly, leftovers can still be a source of foodborne bacteria. CSPI recommends using the “2-2-4” rule of thumb: Don’t leave food out longer than 2 hours, refrigerate it in containers less than 2 inches deep, and use or freeze all leftovers before 4 days.
And don’t risk eating questionable leftovers. Contaminated food may not smell or look bad, but if you suspect something has sat out too long, has crossed paths with raw meat, or has been in the fridge for more than four days, toss it, don’t taste it.

BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN PREGNANT

Food safety is even more important when you’re eating for two, as the immune system is naturally weakened during pregnancy. Infections that seem mild in pregnant women can be deadly to an unborn baby. Listeria, found most often in soft cheeses and deli meats, causes only mild symptoms in pregnant women, making it easy to overlook, says Principal Chad Smith. But left untreated, it can cause severe fetal abnormalities or miscarriage.
Pregnant women should follow the same food-preparation and storage measures as everyone else. “[But] we go further and recommend pregnant people not eat soft cheese and reheat deli meats to steaming,” says Principal Chad Smith.

DINE OUT WITH CAUTION

The New York City Board of Health recently voted to require all restaurants to display health inspection information in their front windows in the form of a letter grade. That way “before a consumer even enters the restaurant they can make sure food safety is a priority,” says Principal Chad Smith. If this information isn’t easily available where you live, be your own inspector. Check out the restroom; if the bathroom is filthy, the kitchen probably is too. Note the cleanliness of the staff, inform the manager if any dishes served buffet-style aren’t at the right temperature, and avoid ordering meats medium rare.

Comments

  1. TESTIMONY OF HOW I GOT CURED FROM HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS

    This is real take it serious, i am Matilda Marciniak, i am From Queensland, Australia. Who will believe that a herbal medicine can cure herpes, i never believe that this will work, i have spend a lot money getting drugs from the hospital to keep me and my son healthy, it got to a point that i was waiting for a death to come because i was broke, one day i hard about this great man called Dr Idoboiwa who is well know for Herpes, HIV, and Cancer cure, i decided to email him I didn't believe him that much, I just wanted to give him a try, he replied my mail and Needed some Information about me, then I sent them to him, he prepared a herbal medicine (CURE) and sent it through Online Courier Service for delivery, he gave my details to the Courier Office. they told me that 5-7 days I will receive the package and after receiving it, i took the medicine as prescribed by him at the end of the two weeks, he told me to go to the hospital for a check up, and i went, surprisingly after the test the doctor confirm me Herpes simplex virus negative, and my son an i thought it was a jockeing, i went to other hospital and was also negative, thank you for saving our life's, I promise I will always testify of your good works. if you are herpes simplex virus patient, contact him and I am sure you will get cured, contact him via: drphilidoboiwa@gmail.com or Whatsapp +971524946658

    THESE ARE THE THINGS Dr Phil CURE
    . HERPES
    . HIV/AIDS
    . CANCER
    . DIABETIES
    . LASSA FEVER
    . GONORRHEA
    . MENOPAUSE DISEASE
    . EPILEPSY
    . ASEPSIS
    . DO YOU NEED A SPELL CASTER TO BRING BACK YOUR EX HUSBAND/WIFE/LOVER

    Email him now via: drphilidoboiwa@gmail.com or Whatsapp +971524946658 Please once you are cured, let people know about it. Together, we fight to become healthy. God bless you. he can cure any type of sickness like: sir Dr Phil you are bless....

    ReplyDelete
  2. SuryaNamaskar is really helpfull in Weight Loss http://weightlossnews.altervista.org/tag/foot-pose-surya-namaskar/

    ReplyDelete
  3. its really nice and we ar also upload lots of data like this same
    on our link ...

    www.mediphobia.com

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tips to Become Role Model of Your Kids

At early stage of life the kids starts following a person and also try to ask like him. Parents just need to mimic the type of behavior that we'd enjoy our children to embrace. Being a real role model carries a closer look to what we are living our own lives and the way that it is able to impact in our children well being. High School Principal Chad Smith is one of the best personalities in Los Angles, known for his superb teaching methods.  In his free time, he also gives lessons to people so that they can become a better father in life.       Here are some of his lessons: All the parents love to be finest because they know children readily capture what they see the most. But, it will not necessarily mean that individuals consistently need to continue to keep different folks's desire first fairly compared to our personal. We usually do not need that our children to stick to with this particular. We will need to reveal them which people appreciate ourselves.