Preventing food poisoning

VOL 115 / NO 6 / JUNE 2004 / POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE

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You had just a little potato salad at the family picnic, but several hours later your stomach is cramping and you have diarrhea. Could the salad have made you sick? Each year, food poisoning affects up to 80 million people in the United States.

What is food poisoning?
This illness occurs after you eat food contaminated with bacteria. The bacteria multiply in the stomach and intestines.

What are its symptoms?
Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea can begin hours or days after eating contaminated food. In most cases, people begin to feel better after the bacteria leave the body through diarrhea or vomiting.

What are common sources of food poisoning?
More than half of cases are the result of improper cooking or storage of food, about a quarter of cases are caused by not washing hands before handling food, and a minority come from an unsafe food source.

The bacteria that most often cause food poisoning include Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium, and Salmonella.

How can I prevent food poisoning?

• Cook all meat, fish, and poultry thoroughly so that no pink remains.
• Wash your hands, cutting boards, and all dishes that come into contact with raw meat, fish, or poultry.
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
• If you have questions about meat or poultry, call the US Department of Agriculture's meat and poultry hot line at 800-535-4555. If you have questions about other foods, call the US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety hot line at 888-723-3366.

What should I do if I think I have food poisoning?
If you have diarrhea lasting longer than 24 hours, vomiting lasting longer than 12 hours, blood in the stool, fever, or intense cramping, call your doctor. Do not make yourself vomit. Sip fluids, such as water, apple juice, broth, or ginger ale.

How long can you safely store foods in the refrigerator after purchase? Uncooked steaks and roasts: 3 to 4 days Ground meats, fresh poultry, and raw fish: 1 to 2 days Deli meats: 4 days after opening Dairy products: 1 week after opening Eggs: 3 to 4 weeks Cooked or uncooked vegetables: 3 to 5 days Berries: 3 to 5 days Baked goods: 2 weeks Mayonnaise: 2 months after opening Information from the University of California, Davis. Available at: http://wellness.ucdavis.edu/safety_info/poison_prevention/poison_book/food_poisoning.shtml.

This information is not a substitute for medical treatment.

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