Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Family and Consumer Sciences

1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1295

Foodborne Illness
Guess Who Came to Dinner?

HYG-5570-98

Barbara Rohrs

Have you ever had food poisoning? Food poisoning is the common term many people use to refer to foodborne illness. Estimates of people affected by foodborne illness range from 3.3 million to 12.8 million cases each year and 3900 deaths each year, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. The reason the range is so great is that many people attribute their illness to "24 Hour Flu" and do not consider it foodborne illness.

A common misconception is that people can tell if food is spoiled by the way it smells. The truth is that harmful microorganisms are present everywhere and food can be contaminated if not handled properly. Microorganisms that cause some foodborne illness are becoming stronger. This means it is even more important that we follow safe food handling principles.

Some symptoms of foodborne illness are similar to flu symptoms. Many foodborne illness symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting. The severity of the symptoms may depend on how much food was eaten and the age of the person. Very young children and older adults are more susceptible to foodborne illness. People with compromised immune systems also may be more susceptible. The incubation period for many foodborne illnesses is from a few hours to a few days. This makes it harder to blame these symptoms to a food eaten a couple of days ago.

Many of the pathogens or bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses are very hard to get rid of, but their spread can be controled by careful food preparation. These four basic principles can be followed to prepare food and keep it safe.

1. Wash hands and surfaces often. Wash hands before handling food. As you prepare food, wash hands often with soapy water and keep everything clean that is in contact with food.
2. Prevent cross contamination. Raw food can have bacteria on it that can contaminate other foods. Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards, and work surfaces with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat and poultry.
3. Cook foods to proper temperatures. Meats should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to check temperatures. Never cook meat in an oven below 325 degrees F. Meat should not be pink and juices should be clear. If reheating foods, they should also reach a temperature of 165 degrees F or come to a full rolling boil. If foods should be served cold, be sure they remain cold and not at room temperature.
4. Refrigerate promptly. Put all leftovers in the refrigerator promptly. Use containers that are shallow, and do not stack on other containers. This allows the cool refrigerated air to circulate and cool the food quickly. Take extra care to be sure that dense foods, like stew, and large pieces of meat are broken down into small enough pieces to cool quickly.

References:

1. National Center for Disease Control, Center for Disease Control and Prevention

2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook, The Bad Bug Book.

For more information on food borne illness, contact your local county Extension Agent. See also the additional fact sheets in this series.

A Case in Point ...

In November, 1985, a large outbreak of food borne illness occurred among Connecticut factory workers. Six hundred employees were affected. Four main course foods served at an employee banquet were associated with this illness, but gravy was finally isolated as the culprit. The gravy had been prepared 12 to 24 hours before serving, had been improperly cooled, and was reheated shortly before serving.

Source: Bad Bug Book

This material is based on work supported by the Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under special project number 96-EFSF-0-3500.