Ask The Expert
Eating Well

Warm weather means picnic time and enjoying time with family and friends.

Unfortunately, picnic time also means perishable foods are left at unsafe temperatures for extended periods of time. This increases the risk of a food borne illness.

Symptoms

The symptoms of most food borne illnesses are typically similar to the stomach flu, which include upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Facts and Risk Factors

According to the September 2003 Position Statement of the American Dietetic Association on Food and Water Safety:

• There are 76 million cases of food borne illness reported in the U.S. each year.
• It is suspected that many more cases are unreported because the symptoms are thought to be related to the flu.
• Annually, 5 thousand people die as a result of a food related infection.
• The elderly, children 10 years and younger, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are at the highest risk.

When you have diabetes, you need to be particularly careful to avoid food borne illnesses because of the effect on blood glucose, ketones, hydration state, and possible need for diabetes medication adjustments. As with most illnesses, it is important to follow sick day management as recommended by your healthcare provider.

Causes and Prevention

Most food borne illness is due to bacterial infections rather than viral, chemical, or parasitic contamination. Most cases can be prevented by taking 4 precautions:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds-- the time it takes to sing 2 choruses of the Happy Birthday song. Wash food preparation surfaces with a clean sponge, hot water and soap. Wash sponges in the hot water cycle of the dishwasher on a regular basis and discard when worn.
• Avoid cross contamination of raw meats and ready-to-eat foods. Use a different cutting board for raw meats, and another cutting board for fruits and vegetables or other ready-to-eat foods such as cheese.
• Cook foods at proper temperatures. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperatures of cooked meat.
• Refrigerate foods properly at temperatures below 40 degrees Farenheit. Food should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, and only an hour if the room temperature is 90 degrees Farenheit or higher. Frozen foods should be defrosted in the refrigerator or the microwave-- never at room temperature or in hot water.

Other Issues

Commercially Prepared Foods: Our increased reliance on commercially prepared foods is another contributor to the higher incidence of food borne illnesses. In response, federal public health and research agencies have joined together to create the 1997 Food Safety Initiative. Newer methods of food production, storage, and transport are being researched. For the past 40 years electronic pasteurization has been used to prevent growth of bacteria in raw meats, fruits, and vegetables. Seventy-five percent of all ground beef and chicken are irradiated to prevent spoilage. Most imported produce is irradiated to kill fruit flies as well as bacteria.

Conclusion

Enjoy nice weather but remember to take important precautions to avoid inviting unwanted guests to the picnic.