The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one of every six U.S. residents gets sick each year from foodborne illnesses. ADVERTISING The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one of every six U.S. residents gets sick each year
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one of every six U.S. residents gets sick each year from foodborne illnesses.
And holiday gatherings are a risky time because of the number of people who get together, the potential one of them might already be sick and the possibility a food preparer will fail to take all the necessary steps to prevent an outbreak.
Foodborne illness, after all, is largely preventable.
Microorganisms that can cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea multiply fastest when there’s time, warm temperature, food and moisture on their side. Those are the things bacteria need to grow. Thus, risk can be decreased by keeping food at the proper temperature and not allowing enough time for microorganisms to grow.
If contamination itself can be prevented, the risk your guests will get food poisoning will be lower.
The key, said Eric Honda, chief of the Hawaii Department of Health’s District Environmental Health Program, is the concept of the “danger zone.”
That’s a temperature range food preparers should attempt to avoid.
“The danger zone is any temperature between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 degrees,” Honda said. “Typically, a refrigerator’s temperatures should be 40 or below and hot ‘holding’ temperatures should be 135 or above.”
If holiday food has been sitting out too long, Honda said, it’s time to put it in the trash can.
“Any food that exceeds four hours, we recommend throwing it out,” Honda said. The longer food sits out, he said, the greater the risk of foodborne illness.
The Department of Health recommends that consumers prepare food, serve it immediately, and then put food away as quickly as possible.
The CDC has called one particular ailment, norovirus, the nation’s No. 1 foodborne illness.
“Norovirus is a very contagious virus that can infect anyone,” the CDC says online.
“You can get it from an infected person, contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed. This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea, and to throw up.”
That’s why it’s essential for holiday guests to wash their hands — often.
A new recommendation from food-safety officials, Honda said, is hands-free interaction with ready-to-eat foods, such as bars, sandwiches and crackers.
If gloves are used by a food preparer, it’s essential to change gloves between stacking cookies and handling the water faucet, for example.
“The gloves need to be changed out during each activity,” Honda said.
Avoid cross-contamination, he said, by keeping raw meats, fish and eggs separate from already cooked foods, fruits and vegetables. Wash hands well with soap and water.
Instead of saying “dinner’s ready,” the host can instead say, “time to wash your hands! Dinner’s ready!”
If you do get sick, Honda said, stay home from school, work or family gatherings to prevent the illness from spreading.
Email Jeff Hansel at jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
