Tips to Help Prevent Food Poisoning

Unfortunately most of us will suffer from an attack of food poisoning at least once in our life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports approximately one in six Americans will come down with food poisoning this year alone. While uncomfortable, most cases are mild but experts say there are some strains or infections that can be deadly. Symptoms typically include abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, vomiting, frequent diarrhea and fever. 

Food poisoning is caused by bacterial or viral contamination of food and experts say the majority of food poisoning cases could have been prevented. Prevention includes following a few key safety rules in how we buy, store and eat food.      

When grocery shopping, it is recommended you bag items such as meat, poultry and fish together. Produce should be bagged separately. If you are out running errands, make the grocery store your last stop, and if it is hot outside, bring along a cooler bag to keep refrigerated and frozen foods as cold as possible.  

Storage tips include not washing produce until you are ready to use it as it will stay fresher. Before you wash produce, wash your hands with soap and water. Clean produce by running cool water over it for up to 10 seconds. Some food like cucumbers and potatoes should be scrubbed with a brush and then rinsed in cool water. Other foods with hard peels should be scrubbed before the cut opens. 

Meat should not be washed but cooked to the proper temperature.Check with your cookbook or the Internet and use a thermometer to ensure it is cooked through. You should store meats away from vegetables and fruits even in the refrigerator. 

Other tips to help prevent food poisoning is to wash your hands before preparing food, clean your prep surfaces, and use a separate cutting board for meats that can be sanitized in the dishwasher. Also the general rule is to refrigerate leftovers two hours after you take them out of the refrigerator. Throw away food left out for more than four hours.  

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Source: 

health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/food-safety-101?src=usn_nl_yourhealth&h_eid=33ff19753588e9ff88a335241c3b8e21caedc878c09582df7ea2d1c7cb6a7d5b&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Your%20Health-Sun%20Oct%2009%2007:47:45%20EDT%202022&utm_term=Your%20Health