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Health tips: Preventing food poisoning

Dear Reader,

An estimated 1 in 6 Americans gets food or beverage poisoning each year. Food contamination can occur at any point, including during growing, picking, processing, storing and shipping. In addition, there’s plenty of opportunity for food poisoning to occur at home.

Practice these food safety habits to prevent food poisoning at home:

Handwashing. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do this after using the toilet, before eating, and before and after handling food.
Wash fruits and vegetables. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, peeling or preparing.
Wash kitchen utensils thoroughly. Wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils with soapy water after contact with raw meats or unwashed fruits and vegetables.
Don't eat raw or undercooked meat or fish. Use a meat thermometer to make sure meat is cooked enough. Cook whole meats and fish to at least 145 F and let rest for at least three minutes. Cook ground meat to at least 160 F. Cook whole and ground poultry to at least 165 F.
Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Avoid having perishable foods at room temperature for more than two hours or above 90 F for more than one hour. Put leftovers in covered containers in the refrigerator right after your meal. Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. If you don't think you'll eat them within four days, freeze them right away.
Cook leftovers safely. You can safely thaw frozen food three ways. You can microwave it. You can move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Or you can put the frozen food in a leakproof container and put it in cold water on the counter. Reheat leftovers until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
Throw it out when in doubt. If you aren't sure if a food has been prepared, served or stored safely, discard it. Even if it looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to eat.

Most people can weather food poisoning with rest and by drinking fluids such as fruit juice, sports drinks or oral rehydration fluid as able – followed by a gradual reintroduction of food.

However, foodborne can become severe or even life-threatening. Older adults, infants, pregnant people and those living with chronic diseases or with suppressed immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness or developing complications such as dehydration. Seek medical attention for signs that are severe or persistent, particularly with diarrhea and frequent episodes of vomiting, including the inability to keep fluids down.

Additional signs and symptoms that warrant medical attention include having bloody vomit or stools, an oral temperature higher than 101.5 F or neurological symptoms such as blurry vision, muscle weakness and tingling in the arms.

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