Foodborne Illness is a National Risk

Foodborne Illness Is Not a Local Problem, It's a National Risk.

September is recognized as National Food Safety Education Month to draw attention to an issue that affects an estimated 48 million people annually across the United States. Translated that means approximately 1 in 6 people in the United States get sick from foodborne illnesses resulting in approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and nearly 3,000 deaths.

E. Coli, Norovirus and Salmonella: We're Looking At You.

Escherichia coli, or what's more commonly known as E. coli, is a major bacteria species that is typically found living in human intestines. Like most foodborne illnesses, it can enter your body through contaminated food or water, and is often the cause of foodborne outbreaks throughout the world.  Ingesting contaminated food containing certain strains of E. coli can make people sick with symptoms ranging from diarrhea to stomach cramps, vomiting and fever. 

In the United States, however, norovirus is the most common cause of foodborne illness. Symptoms caused by norovirus may start as soon as 12 hours and up to a few days after ingesting contaminated food or water. As some may be aware through first-hand experience, projectile vomiting may be one of the first signs of exposure followed by diarrhea and cramps and in some instances headache, fever, and muscle aches.

Another culprit of foodborne illness is the Salmonella bacteria, one of the most common gastrointestinal infections found in the United States. In fact, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that on an annual basis nearly 1.35 million people are infected with the bacteria resulting in over 400 deaths.  Once infected, symptoms of salmonellosis can appear within 6 hours to 6 days. These symptoms can range from fever, stomach cramps to diarrhea. In most situations, people can recover within a week without any medical treatment. However, salmonellosis, like many other foodborne illnesses, can pose a greater risk to certain portions of our population like senior adults over 65, children under 5 years old, pregnant women, unborn children and those with preexisting medical conditions like cancer, HIV, autoimmune disease and diabetes. 

Foodborne Illnesses Lurk In Every Corner Of Our Diets

The Food and Drug Administration has identified the following foods as having the highest rates and risks for foodborne illnesses: 

• Raw or undercooked meat or poultry;
•  Hot dogs, luncheon meats, other deli-style meats and poultry products;
•  Unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce/salads;
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk and products made with raw milk, like yogurt and cheese;
• Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, such as feta, brie, camembert, blue-veined and Mexican-style cheeses;
• Raw fish products, such as ceviche, as well as products containing uncooked or undercooked seafood, and refrigerated smoked seafood;
• Raw shellfish (like oysters, clams, mussels and scallops) and their juices;
• Raw or undercooked eggs, or foods containing raw or undercooked eggs (like dough and batter), as well as certain homemade salad dressings (like Caesar dressing);

In addition to digesting foods that the salmonella bacteria, norovirus, or E. coli may have originated from, be cautious of the possibility that people can also become exposed to bacteria and viruses that cause foodborne illness from people who improperly handle food and cross-contaminate food that otherwise was safe. So in those instances, be aware that even when your food is infected they can and will usually look and smell normal.  

How to Prevent It

Preventing foodborne illnesses caused salmonella, norovirus or E. coli from contaminating food and people is a fairly simple process that requires only one thing: washing your hands. In fact, it's a well-known fact that one can also get bacteria and viruses from the contaminated hands of someone who did not properly wash their hands after using the toilet. We've all seen the signs that say: “Employees Must Wash Hands Before Returning to Work.” Clearly there's a reason for it. But we've all experienced the situation witnessing an someone leaving a restroom stall, checking themselves out in the mirror, fixing their hair, and . . . leave; only to see them later behind the counter taking your order or preparing your food. But if an employee that does this can't be trusted to do the most rudimentary tasks to keep us safe, should we rely on them to even practice any other steps necessary to keep our food safe?

Four Steps of Food Safety

So the last line of defense against foodborne illness is implementing and ensuring that others adhere to the four basic safe food handling behaviors - clean, separate, cook, and chill. Not only do we need to do these things in our own kitchens, but we need to hold these same standards with restauranteurs, food manufactures and any other purveyors who choose to offer their food products to us for consumption. This is the only way we will keep our food safe and in turn each other. So do the following:

·         Clean: Wash hands, utensils, and the surfaces where food is prepared with soap and water, especially after touching raw meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood.

·      Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from cooked or ready to eat foods such as salads and deli meat.

·      Cook: Heat food to the right temperature to kill any germs to prevent in order to prevent consumption of raw or undercooked meat.

·    Chill: Refrigerate food right away to prevent germs from growing in your food.

What Happens If You Have Been Severally Injured By A Food Borne Illness

If you, a family member or someone you care about has been traumatically affected by a foodborne illness due to someone else's carelessness or apathy, there are remedies for what's happened to you or your loved ones. In California, a person has a right to make a claim against a business or a person and/or their employer if they sold food that “was not fit for human consumption” and caused illness. To prove this, a victim of a foodborne illness is required to demonstrate the following:

• That the infected person ate/drank a food product sold by the person or their employer;
•  That, at the time of the purchase, the person or their employer was in the business of selling the food product or that the person or their employer held themselves out to as having special knowledge or skill   regarding this food product;
• That the food product was harmful when consumed;
• That the harmful condition would not reasonably be expected by the average consumer;
• That the infected person was harmed;
• That the food product was a substantial factor in causing the infected person harm.

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