The holidays means holiday get-togethers, parties and dinners, but it can also present an issue with food safety, and the Henry and Stark County Health Departments has food safety tips for keeping your family and guests safe.
According to the environmental health division of the HSCHD, “one in six Americans contract foodborne diseases every year, affecting more people than the common cold.” Many symptoms of food poisoning mimic those of the garden-variety flu that often leave people wondering if they ate something that didn’t agree with them or if it’s a virus they might have picked up along the way.
Despite the prevalence of foodborne illnesses, it can be hard to differentiate between the two. While people with the “stomach flu” usually suffer from intestinal issues, those with foodborne illness can experience those same symptoms.
The health department states that “there’s no real easy way to distinguish between many types of foodborne illness and a flu bug, but with the flu, one might be more apt to see generalized aches and pains and just overall not feeling well.”
Foodborne illnesses are, by and large, illnesses that occur in close proximity to exposure, so if a large number of people have the same symptoms at the same time, then the cause is most likely food poisoning. However, if people are ill at different times their symptoms are more likely to be flu-related, as it takes time to pass the virus from person to person.
Though most foodborne disease outbreaks don’t occur during the holidays, but more often in the summer months, the holidays do warrant special attention because certain foods and food practices popular during the season can increase the risk for foodborne illness.
The health department offers residents the following precautions and suggestions:
-Clean: Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and countertops.
-Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate. Don’t let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Experts caution to keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
-Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
-Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Public health officials advise consumers to refrigerate foods quickly because rapid cooling to 41 degrees slows the growth of harmful bacteria. Refrigerators should be set at 41 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer.
According to the Health Depart. staff, “the holidays don’t always make it easy for food handlers to follow this advice. One reason is that people get caught up in the hectic pace of the holiday season. People get sloppy. They’re busy, and they lose the vigilance that they might follow at other times of the year. The traditional advice should always be applied: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.”
For more information on food safety you may contact the Health Department at (309) 852-0197 Ext. 270 or email eh@henrystarkhealth.org.
