Foodborne Illness Can Cause

More than a Stomach Ache!

Foodborne Illness Can Cause
More than a Stomach Ache!
Signs and symptoms

Upset stomach
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fever
Dehydration
(sometimes severe)
Dont count on these to
test for food safety!
Sight
Smell
Taste
Even IF tasting would tell
Why risk getting sick?
A tiny taste may not protect
you as few as
10 bacteria could cause
some foodborne illnesses!


Why gamble with your health?
It takes about hour
to 6 weeks to become
ill from unsafe foods.

You may become sick later
even if you feel
OK after eating.

Why risk other peoples health?
Some people have
a greater risk for
foodborne illnesses.
A food you safely eat might
make others sick.

Is the food safe for
everyone at the table?
People with a higher risk of foodborne illness
Pregnant
women
Infants
Young children and
older adults
People with weakened immune systems
and individuals with certain chronic diseases
Be a winner!
Increase your odds
of preventing a
foodborne illness
in YOUR HOME!

Clean hands,
food-contact
surfaces, fruits
and vegetables.
Recommendation 1: CLEAN
Do NOT wash or rinse meat and poultry as
this could spread bacteria to other foods.

Wash your hands!
Hand washing is the most effective way
to stop the spread of illness.
How to wash hands
1. Wet hands with
WARM water.
2. Soap and scrub for
20 seconds.
3. Rinse under clean,
running water.
4. Dry completely
using a clean cloth
or paper towel.
Wash hands after
Using the toilet or
changing nappies
Sneezing, blowing
nose & coughing
Touching a cut or
open sore
Handling food
Handling pets
AND before ...
Clean during food preparation
Wash cutting boards,
knives, utensils and
counter tops in hot
soapy water after
preparing each food
and before going on to
the next.
Avoid spreading bacteria
Use paper towels or clean
cloths to wipe
up kitchen surfaces
or spills.

Wash cloths often in the
hot cycle of your washing
machine and dry in a hot
dryer.
Dirty dishcloths spread bacteria
Wet or damp dishcloths are
ideal environments for
bacterial growth.

Have a good supply of
dishcloths to avoid reusing
them before laundry day.

There are more germs in the average
kitchen than the bathroom. Sponges
and dishcloths are worst offenders.
~ research by Dr. Charles Gerba
Recommendation 2: SEPARATE
Separate raw, cooked,
and
ready-to-eat foods
while shopping,
preparing or
storing foods.
Use different cutting boards
Use one cutting board
for fresh produce and a
separate one for raw meat,
poultry and seafood.

Replace cutting boards
if they become excessively
worn or develop
hard-to-clean grooves.
When groovy isnt a good thing
Use clean plates
NEVER serve foods on a
plate that previously held raw
meat, poultry or seafood unless
the plate has first been washed
in hot, soapy water.
Recommendation 3: COOK
Cook foods to a safe
temperature to kill
micro-organisms.
Chicken and turkey
Thermy says: Cook chicken and turkey
(whole birds, legs, thighs & wings) to 82 degrees C.
Minced meats
Thermy says: Cook hamburger, minced beef
and other minced meats to 71 degrees C
and minced poultry to 74 degrees C.
The ONLY way to know food
has been cooked to a safe
internal temperature is to use a
food thermometer!
Which minced beef patty is cooked to
a safe internal temperature?

Source: United States Department of Agriculture/Food Safety & Inspection Service
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/therm/researchfs.htm
This IS a safely cooked
hamburger, cooked to
an internal temperature
of 71 degrees C, even
though it's pink inside.
This is NOT a safely cooked
hamburger. Though brown
inside, its undercooked.

Research shows some ground
beef patties look done at
internal temperatures
as low as 57 degrees C.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture/Food Safety & Inspection Service
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/therm/researchfs.htm
1 out of 4 hamburgers turns brown before
it has been cooked to a safe internal
temperature
Source: United States Department of Agriculture/Food Safety & Inspection Service
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/therm/researchfs.htm
Recommendation 4: CHILL
Chill (refrigerate)
perishable foods
promptly and
defrost foods
properly.
The TWO-hour rule
Refrigerate perishable foods so
TOTAL time at room temperature is
less than TWO hours or
only ONE hour when room temperature
is above 32 degrees C.

Perishable foods include:
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu
Dairy products
Pasta, rice, cooked vegetables
Fresh, peeled/cut fruits and
vegetables
DANGER
ZONE
Bacteria multiply rapidly
between
4 and 60C.

A multiplication quiz
How many bacteria will grow from 1 BACTERIA left at
room temperature 7 hours?
Bacteria numbers can double in 20 minutes!
Answer: 2,097,152!
Refrigerate perishable foods within TWO hours.
How to be cool part 1
Cool food in shallow
containers. Limit depth
of food to
2 inches or less.

Place very hot foods
on a rack at room
temperature for about
20 minutes before
refrigeration.
How to be cool part 2
Its OK to refrigerate
foods while theyre
still warm.
Leave container cover
slightly open until the
food has cooled.
Recommended refrigerator
& freezer temperatures
Set refrigerator at
5 degrees C or
below.

Set freezer at
-18 degrees C.
Place an appliance thermometer in your
refrigerator AND freezer
The THAW LAW
Plan ahead to defrost foods.

The best way to thaw
perishable foods is in the
refrigerator.

When to leave your leftovers
Refrigerated leftovers
may become unsafe
within 3 to 4 days.

If in doubt, toss it out!

Time to toss
"If it walks out,
let it go!"
~ seen on a refrigerator magnet
Cleaning fruits & vegetables
1. Remove and discard outer leaves.

2. Rinse under clean, running water
just before preparing or eating.

3. Rub briskly scrubbing with a clean
brush or hands to remove dirt and
surface micro-organisms.

4. Dont use soap or detergent.

Cleaning fruits & vegetables
5. After washing, dry with a clean
cloth or paper towel.

6. Moisture left on produce may
promote survival and growth of
microorganisms. Drying is critical
if food wont be eaten or cooked
right away.

7. Cut away bruised and
damaged areas.

Separate fruits & vegetables from other foods

Keep fruits and
vegetables separate from
raw meat, poultry and
seafood while shopping,
preparing
or storing them.
Read labels
Read labels on bagged produce to
determine if it is ready-to-eat.

Ready-to-eat, pre-washed, bagged
produce can be
used without further washing
if kept refrigerated and
used by the use-by date.
Dairy dos and donts
Avoid raw (unpasteurized)
milk or milk products such as
some soft cheeses.
Refrigerate dairy foods
promptly. Discard dairy foods
left at room temperature for
more than two hours even if
they look and smell good.

Do NOT drink milk directly
from the carton.
Avoid washing raw meat & poultry
Do NOT wash raw meat and poultry.
Washing is not necessary.

Washing increases the danger of
cross-contamination, spreading
bacteria present on the surface of
meat and poultry to ready-to-eat
foods, kitchen utensils, and counter
surfaces.
Refrigerator storage
Store raw meat, poultry and
seafood on the bottom shelf
of the refrigerator so juices
dont drip onto other foods.
Cook to safe temperatures
Avoid raw or partially cooked
eggs or foods containing raw
eggs and raw/undercooked
meat
and poultry.
Scrambled, poached, fried and
hard-cooked eggs are safe
when cooked so both yolks and
whites are firm, not runny.
Should you keep or toss
Pizza left on the
counter overnight?
Toss it out!
Even if you reheat pizza
left on the counter overnight,
some bacteria can form a heat
resistant toxin that cooking
wont destroy.
Should you keep or toss
Beef burger thawed
on the kitchen
counter?
Toss it out!
As with pizza left out more than TWO
hours, bacteria may have formed heat-
resistant toxins.
The best way to thaw perishable
foods is in the refrigerator.
Thaw packages of meat, poultry and
seafood on a plate on the bottom shelf
of the refrigerator to prevent their
juices from dripping on other foods.
Should you keep or toss
Perishable food left out
from the mid-day meal
until the evening meal?
Toss it out!
Perishable foods such as
meats, gravy and cooked
vegetables should be
refrigerated within TWO
hours.
Should you keep or toss
Cut/peeled fruits and
vegetables at room
temperature for over
TWO hours?
Toss it out!
Once you have cut
through the protective
skin of fruits and vegetables,
bacteria can enter.

Refrigerate cut or peeled
fruits and vegetables within
TWO hours.
Should you keep or toss

Leftovers in the
refrigerator for
over a week?
Toss it out!
Refrigerated leftovers
may become unsafe
within 3 to 4 days.

You cant always see or
smell if a food is unsafe.
It may be unsafe to taste
a food.
Should you keep or toss

A FULL pot of
chicken soup stored
in the refrigerator
while still hot?
(can you guess?)
How long would it take
an 8-inch stock pot of
steaming chicken soup
to cool to a safe
temperature in your
refrigerator?
Would you believe 24 hours!
TOSS IT OUT!

Remember: Transfer hot foods to
shallow containers
to speed cooling.

Should you keep or toss
A turkey in
your freezer
for five years?
You decide!

Food kept frozen at
-18 degrees C is still safe
to eat. However, it may
not taste as good.

To assure best flavour, eat
a frozen turkey within a
year.
Remember: