Preventing Food-Borne Illnesses Food Safety Preventing Food-Borne Illnesses

What is food-borne illness? Caused by bacteria that enter the body through the ingestion of food. Every person is at risk of food-borne illness. Reaction may occur in a few hours or up to several days after exposure More than 250 different food-borne diseases have been described (bacteria, viruses, and parasites)

Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year due to food poisoning roughly : 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick 128,000 are hospitalized 3,000 die

Signs and Symptoms Abdominal cramps Weakness Headache Dehydration Vomiting Diarrhea Fever Death

Causes of Food-borne illnesses improper holding temperatures poor personal hygiene inadequate cooking contaminated equipment food from an unsafe source

Food Safety The use of safe handling practices every time when someone handles prepares eats food

Prevention Techniques “When in doubt, throw it out!!”

Prevention Techniques Clean - Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils, and countertops. Separate - Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods Cook - Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature Chill - Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and refrigerate food that will spoil Good Shopping sense