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Updated
04/04/08
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Q1: Why do people get sick
from the foods they eat?
A: Raw food products can be contaminated
with microorganisms that can make people ill (especially the very young, the
elderly and those whose immune systems have been weakened due to illnesses
such as HIV or cancer.) Although most of these hazards can be controlled by
safer food handling procedures, the occurrence of food borne illness tells
us that risk reduction, at every step from farm to table, is very important.
Q2: What is the government doing to improve
the safety of our food supply?
A: Though we have one of the safest food
supplies in the world, there will always be risks of contamination, and
efforts are underway to reduce those risks even further. For example, the
U.S. government is working to find more effective inspection methods and is
investigating new technologies to improve our ability to detect food borne
pathogens. Some existing technologies, such as irradiation and organic acid
rinsing, show promise in reducing the incidence of food borne illness.
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Q3: I work on a ranch with a
variety of livestock and other animals. Can I get a food borne illness from
a live animal?
A: Many of the bacteria that cause food
borne illnesses are carried by animals (some of them are also carried by
humans). It's imperative to always wash hands with warm, soapy water after
you have contact with animals (even your pets) and before you handle food at
any time.Q4: My child is in day
care five days each week. How can I help protect him from food borne illness
when I'm not there?
A: Make sure that the people who run the day
care center practice appropriate sanitation and food handling techniques.
You and the care providers should teach children to wash hands with warm,
soapy water before and after going to the bathroom. It's critical for child
care providers and parents to remember to wash hands thoroughly after every
diaper check and change. Spread of disease does not require ingestion of
food or beverage.
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Q5: I send brown-bag lunches
with my kids to school every day. Is there a risk of food borne illness from
leaving their lunches unrefrigerated in their locker for four hours before
lunchtime?
A: There is a risk anytime perishable food
is left at room temperature for more than two hours. To reduce the risk,
freeze something to be included with the lunch such as a juice box or a
small plastic container of water, which will keep the food cool until
lunchtime. A small refreezable ice pack, like those used in coolers is also
useful.Q6: When my family goes on
a picnic I pack a cold picnic lunch, but we usually don't eat for several
hours. Are there precautions I should take to prevent food borne illness?
A: Pack food in a cooler with ice or ice
packs. Only pack foods which have been chilled to a temperature below 40
degrees F- do not use the cooler to chill room temperature foods. When
finished serving cold foods, promptly return them to the cooler. If you plan
to cook meat, poultry or fish on a grill while picnicking, pack carefully to
prevent leakage, and take along baby wipes or moistened towelettes to wash
up with after handling raw foods. A spray bottle filled with clean water and
soap is another alternative - this works well for hands as well as surfaces. |
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Q7: When preparing food at
home should I use a plastic or wood cutting board?
A: Though the advice for years has been to
use plastic cutting boards instead of wood, there is discussion as to
whether wood surfaces may actually be better at preventing bacterial growth
than plastic surfaces, which seem to harbor them. Whether you choose wood or
plastic, use separate boards for raw and cooked foods, and make sure to
clean and sanitize after each use. To sanitize cutting boards, wash with
warm, soapy water, and then wash again with a solution of 2 to 3 teaspoons
of household bleach in one quart of warm water. Rinse with plain hot water.
Q8: I'm serving a buffet dinner which will
be out for several hours at an upcoming party at my home. What precautions
should I take to make sure my guests are safe from food borne illness?
A: Keep the hot foods hot and the cold foods
cold. Use chafing dishes or other heated servers which keep already hot
foods at a temperature of at least 140F. Do not leave high-risk foods out
for longer than 2 hours. Make sure to stir the food frequently if the
heating source does not cover the entire bottom of the dish. Cold foods
should be set on ice. Never mix fresh food with foods that have already been
out for serving. |
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Q9: My mother used to leave
meat out on the counter to thaw during the day - does this increase the risk
of food poisoning?
A: Absolutely. Most food borne pathogens
thrive at room temperature or in warm water. Instead, use your refrigerator
to thaw foods by moving them from the freezer to the refrigerator one or two
days before you plan to cook them. An alternative method for thawing is the
microwave oven. However, if thawing is done in the microwave oven, the
thawed food must be cooked immediately afterward.
Q10: Is my crock-pot slow cooker safe to
prepare food in? It seems like it cooks at very low temperatures.
A: Yes, you can safely prepare foods in a
slow-cooker. Bring foods to a boil and then simmer at 160F for longer
cooking. Make sure to use the lid, and a thermometer to check the internal
temperature - it should be at least 160F. Use small pieces of (thawed) meat,
choose a recipe that contains a liquid, and avoid filling the cooker to more
than two-thirds of its capacity. |
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Q11: My kids love to eat raw
cookie dough when I bake cookies. Is this safe?
A: If your cookie dough contains raw eggs
there is a risk involved. Other foods to think twice about are traditional
Caesar salad - (the dressing is made with raw eggs), or anything made with
homemade mayonnaise or soft poached eggs. If you make homemade mayonnaise,
ice cream or other recipes requiring eggs which will not be cooked, use
pasteurized eggs. Commercially prepared dressing, mayonnaise, commercially
prepared cookie dough and "cookie dough" ice cream, all use pasteurized
eggs.Q12: I love steak tartar and
capriccio. Isn't it okay to eat them just once in a while?
A: Do not eat raw or undercooked foods.
Avoiding these foods will reduce risk of food borne illness. Steak tartar
poses a significant risk because it contains raw ground beef and raw eggs.
Capriccio, thin-sliced raw beef, also presents a risk. |
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Q13: My neighbor will leave
still-warm leftovers on the counter for hours rather than "warming up her
refrigerator." She says this is okay because she covers them with plastic
wrap. Is it?
A: Leftovers should never be at room
temperature for more than 2 hours. They should be refrigerated quickly.
Refrigerators are designed to accommodate changes in temperatures. Though
the plastic wrap may prevent contact with other food and bacteria, it will
not prevent growth of bacteria already in or on the food if left out at room
temperature.Q14: Can I still eat
rare beef?
A: Cooked steaks, roasts and other cuts of
beef offer a much lower risk of carrying food borne pathogens, since the
bacteria exist on the outside and are destroyed in the cooking process.
Ground beef is risky to eat rare because surface bacteria are transferred to
the interior of the meat during grinding, giving them a much greater surface
area on which to grow. |
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Q15: What causes mold? If a
food has mold on it, is it unsafe to eat?
A: Mold is result of spoilage. If there is
mold on hard cheese, cut off the mold to a depth of one inch, and it should
be fine to eat. Other foods with mold on them should be thrown out.
Q16: If a food has an unusual smell and I
suspect there's something wrong with it, what should I do?
A: When in doubt, throw it out! The food is
likely spoiled. It's not worth the risk of becoming ill.
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Q17: Isn't it the
government's responsibility to make sure there are no bacteria in my food?
A: Bacteria are everywhere - on every
surface that isn't sterile, in our bodies, in animal's bodies. Even if the
government were able to eliminate bacteria on products as you buy them at
the store, the foods would likely accumulate bacteria during handling or
serving. Safe handling, cooking and serving practices are paramount in
preventing food borne illness.Q18:
What should I do if I suspect I have a food borne illness?
A: First, if possible, preserve the suspect
food, marking it with a warning label to make sure no on else eats it.
Second, call or see a medical professional. If the suspect food was served
at a large gathering, in a public place such as a restaurant, by a sidewalk
vendor or in an employee cafeteria, is a commercial product or was prepared
by a grocery store, contact your local health department to report the
incident. If vomiting or diarrhea are symptoms, drink lots of fluids to
prevent dehydration. Physicians and laboratories have a responsibility to
contact the health department for some diagnoses of food borne illness.
However, most food borne illness is not diagnosed - symptoms are treated to
alleviate discomfort. If food is the suspected source of illness, be sure to
advise a physician.
 Reference:
For more information on fighting the problem of food
borne illness, visit Fight Bac
created by the Partnership for Food Safety Education.
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Resources
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Consumer Information Department
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
Mon. - Fri., 10am - 4pm ET
(800) 535-4555
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Foodborne Illness Line
24-hour recorded information
(404) 332-4597
This document has been reviewed by:
Mildred Cody, PhD, RD on behalf of The
American Dietetic Association
Michael Doyle, PhD, Department of Food
Safety and Quality Enhancement, University of Georgia
Alan Harris, MD, Department of Infectious
Diseases, Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center
Betsy Hornick, MS, RD, The American Dietetic
Association
John Marcello, RS, The National Restaurant
Association Education Foundation
Michael Pariza, PhD, Department of Food
Microbiology and Toxicology, University of Wisconsin
Morris Potter, DVM, MS, Division of
Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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