Food Poisoning

There are nearly 250 different types of bacteria, viruses and parasites that are known to cause food poisoning. A few of these are very common and account for the majority of cases of illness. Some cause serious diseases or death, but most cause only a mild illness ranging from slight discomfort to more serious symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration.

Did You Know…

• Rice has been the cause of some food poisonings.
• Lettuce can cause food poisonings.
• Thawing meat at room temperature is a risk.
• The symptoms for food poisoning can take from 2 hours to one week to occur.
• Cutting the mould off food does not make it safe to eat.
• Contaminated food can be odourless and tasteless.

There's nothing better than a family barbecue with all the trimmings - potato salad, hamburgers, steak and chicken. Food poisoning rates usually go up in the summer because of unsafe barbecue practices.

Always remember to keep it cold, keep it clean and cook it 'til it's done.

These four tips will eliminate harmful bacteria:

• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for a full 20 seconds before and after handling raw products.
• Ensure clean utensils and cooking surfaces are used when preparing foods.
• wash and sanitize utensils after use. A mild bleach and water solution makes an effective sanitizer.
• Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards. Cutting boards should be run through the dishwasher or washed with soap and hot water then sanitized with a mild bleach and water solution after each use.

2. SEPARATE -

• Don't cross-contaminate by allowing foods and their juices to come into contact with one another during preparation.
• Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood on a plate or tray, so raw juices don't drip onto other foods.
• Use one cutting board for raw meat products and another one for salads and other ready-to-eat foods, or wash cutting boards in between each use.
• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood unless the plate has been washed.
• Don't spread bacteria with dirty sponges, dishcloths, or towels. Bacteria often thrive in the moist areas of these items where bits of food may also exist. Use paper towels or freshly-cleaned sponges or cloths and soap and hot water to clean food preparation surfaces.

3. COOK -

• Use a probe thermometer to make sure foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
• Cook foods thoroughly and serve immediately.  
• Use a pasteurized egg product in recipes that call for raw or cooked eggs.
• Cook fish until it's opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
• When microwaving, make sure there are no cold spots in food (where bacteria can survive). For best results, cover, stir, and rotate food for even cooking. If there's no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.
• Foods that are reheated must be reheated to at least the original cook temperature for that food for at least 15 seconds, except for whole poultry which must be reheated to 74 ºC for 15 seconds.
• Once food is cooked or reheated to its proper final cooking temperature, it can be held at 60ºC.