Unpasteurized juice ... raw sprouts ... undercooked meat ... uncooked eggs ... raw oysters. Is this a formula for the latest trendy health shake? No, it's more like a recipe for why 48 million Americans get food poisoning each year. But it goes beyond that to include foods we didn't think we had to worry about, such as ready–to–eat salads, nut butters, frozen shredded coconut, ice cream (a dark time in Texas history when Blue Bell was off of shelves) and even flour.
According to the CDC, 128,000 Americans end up in the ER annually due to food poisoning from a smorgasbord of sources: deli meats, soft cheeses, cucumbers, spinach, even caramel apples and pistachios. The list — or should we say listeria — goes on.
How to identify food poisoning.
Many of these foods are supposed to be healthy for us, so how can we eat them and not get sick? First, it's helpful to recognize the symptoms of food poisoning. If you've never had it, think of your worst bout with the stomach flu. The problem is, symptoms may appear almost immediately or they may take weeks to develop, so it's often hard to pinpoint what you've contracted and where you may have picked it up unless you're tracking everything you eat and drink.
A good rule of thumb is to seek immediate medical treatment if you suspect food poisoning because it can be much more serious than the flu. Infants, the elderly, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system are especially at risk.
How to prevent food poisoning.
The second and most important thing we can do is practice contamination prevention measures.
- Wash hands and preparation surfaces thoroughly before touching food
- Cook foods thoroughly
- Set your refrigerator to 40°F and your freezer to 0°F (or lower)
- Drink and eat only pasteurized juices, milk and milk products
- Use separate cutting boards and preparation surfaces for meat and other foods
- Don't ingest raw eggs
- Don't eat prepared food that has been outside a refrigerator for more than two hours or one hour in very hot weather
- Always rinse fruits and veggies and dry with a clean paper towel, even if they will be peeled
Why the extreme caution with produce? Cutting or biting into food that has bacteria on the outside will drive the bacteria deeper into the food. This is also true of meat, which is why you should insist on a well-done steak in a restaurant that tenderizes theirs by piercing it with sharp instruments and why you should be equally wary of ground meat products, such as hamburgers.
If you're not into grilling wait staff about their meat preparation procedures, you may want to grill at home instead. Researchers at Kansas State University found five “killer spices” that can make your ground beef (and other foods) safer and maybe even more delicious. These killer five include garlic, cinnamon, oregano, cloves and sage.
K-State killer spice “recipes” to combat food poisoning.
A 1 percent ratio (2 to 5 teaspoons) of garlic powder to two pounds of ground beef kills 90-97 percent of E.coli.
A 3 percent ratio (2 to 5 tablespoons) of dried plum mixture (prunes) to 2 pounds of ground beef kills more than 90 percent of major food-borne pathogens, including E. coli, salmonella, listeria, Y. enterocolitica and staphylococcus. Plus, it adds antioxidants and makes a moister meatloaf.
Just 0.3 percent of cinnamon (roughly a piled-high teaspoon) to 64 ounces of apple juice kills about 99 percent of E.coli.
While killer spices can help protect you from killer bacteria, keep in mind they're no substitute for a vigorous hand scrubbing and a fully cooked meal. You can also monitor current food poisoning outbreaks via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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Revised 10/05/2022
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