The Henry and Stark County Health Department is reminding the public that foodborne diseases affect one in six Americans each year, surpassing even the common cold. Because symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain often resemble the flu, pinpointing the cause can be difficult. Officials advise that if many individuals become ill at the same time after a shared meal, food poisoning is likely the culprit. As large holiday meals approach, the department urges everyone to pay extra attention to safe food handling. Wash hands and surfaces, avoid cross-contamination, cook foods to safe temperatures, and refrigerate leftovers quickly. Staying vigilant can help families avoid unnecessary illness this season.
The Health Department notes, “There’s no real easy way to distinguish between many types of foodborne illness and a flu bug, but with the flu, one might be more apt to see generalized aches and pains and just overall not feeling well.”
According to Health Department staff, “The holidays don’t always make it easy for food handlers to follow this advice. One reason is that people get caught up in the hectic pace of the holiday season. People get sloppy. They’re busy, and they lose the vigilance that they might follow at other times of the year. The traditional advice should always be applied: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.”
The Health Department staff offers the following food safety suggestions:
- Clean: Wash hands and food-contact surfaces often. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and countertops.
- Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate. Don’t let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Experts caution that these foods and their juices should be kept away from ready-to-eat foods.
- Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
- Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Public health officials advise consumers to refrigerate foods quickly because rapid cooling to 41 degrees slows the growth of harmful bacteria. Refrigerators should be set at 41 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer.
