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Avoiding food-borne illnesses this holiday
“What is Christmas without a feast?” For many the answer would be no Christmas at all. The baking of cakes, the seasoning of meats, mixing of punches and the preparation of a wide variety of meals are normal activities associated with the festive season.
Amidst the celebrations and the preparations, it is important to note that annually food-borne illness outbreaks cost both low- and middle-income economies approximately US$110 billion due to lost in productivity and medical expenses. Also, one out of every five persons who gather for a Christmas feast is likely to get a food-borne illness. Aided by factors such as changes in farming and production practices, climate, as well as mishandling, so far in the year 2022, peanut butter, packaged salads, milk, cheese, oysters, and fish have been named amongst other foods that causes the annual and global incidence of approximately six hundred million cases of food-borne illness and 420,000 deaths.
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Major signs and symptoms associated with food-borne illnesses
Food-borne illnesses manifest in a number of ways ranging from fever and diarrhoea to some types of cancers. However, most food-borne illnesses present with gastrointestinal issues such as retching, vomiting and nausea. Illnesses such as ciguatera fish poisoning and botulism are associated with neurological symptoms; listeriosis and hepatitis E infection can lead to spontaneous abortion in pregnant women, while some types of coliforms can cause bloody diarrhoea, renal failure, and death, especially in children.
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Major reasons for food-borne illness outbreaks during the Christmas season
• Guests often bring food to share, which means that these food items could be subject to time and temperature violation; not held hot or cold for extended times, thereby giving bacteria or other germs time to multiply in the food.
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• Many people prepare food ahead of an event; foods such as salads, casseroles, seafoods, pies, stews, meats, and meat dishes need to be carefully prepared and kept at the correct temperatures to ensure that the products are safe for human consumption.
Ways to prevent food-borne illness and enjoy the festivity
•Wash hands as often as is necessary using clean running water and a germicidal hand soap. During the preparation of foods, after using the restroom, before serving a meal, before eating, after the hands would have become contaminated are important intervals to be observed regarding hand washing.
•Wearing clean clothes whilst conducting food handling activities can also reduce the risk associated with food-borne illness occurrences.
• Buy foods from reputable suppliers only: Date labels and shelf-life information should be carefully observed as after the expiry date of a food item has passed; it is no longer considered safe for consumption.
• Use safe water for drinking and preparing foods.
•Use clean utensils only, for the preparation of meals and avoid cross contamination by having enough equipment and utensils for food preparation and serving.
•Avoid using bare hands to serve ready to eat foods such hot dogs, pizza, and sandwiches.
•When gloves are worn while serving and preparing meals, ensure that they are changed between tasks and when they would have become contaminated. Ideally, a new pair of gloves should be put on only after the hands would have been properly washed.
• Ham, mutton, chicken, fish, salads, milk, cooked rice, cooked pasta, and eggs are amongst food items which are high risk for causing food-borne illnesses. Hence, mishandling at any stage can lead to a food-borne illness outbreak. Care and adherence to good personal hygiene and food preparation practices is required during preparation and handling of these and other similar food items.
• Do not allow children to consume raw cake batter especially those which have eggs as a main ingredient. Many children are enthusiastic when it is time for baking, this enthusiasm often leads to tasting and adults are sometimes guilty of this action as well. However, tasting or eating raw cake batter or cookie batter can lead to salmonellosis and E coli infections. Eggs are a main source of some types of the salmonella germ and raw flour is known to harbour toxin producing E coli. The illnesses associated with these germs can result in an individual experiencing fever, vomiting, nausea, bloody diarrhoea, and death amongst other symptoms.
•Avoid the consumption of raw egg punches. Only pasteurised eggs should be used to make Guinness punches, strong back, eggnog, tiramisu, hollandaise sauces, Caesar dressings or any other similar food item.
•Do not leave these items to defrost in the sun, in the kitchen sink or on top of the counter. Defrosting of foods especially meats and other high-risk foods are best done ahead of time at the bottom of a properly working refrigerator. The ideal temperature for defrosting foods is one to five degrees Celsius.
• Cold foods such as seasoned or unseasoned beef, pork, chicken, turkey, mutton, seafood, and hams are best kept refrigerated at five degrees Celsius or lower while in storage. Sealed containers or sturdy plastic bags are handy storage options for these types of products.
•Cook foods thoroughly until well done. Meats such as roasted or jerked pork, beef and chicken are normally perfectly cooked when the juices run clear. If any part of these items appears uncooked while being served, it is advisable to recook the item until well done.
•Ensure that fruits such as ackee are mature or fully ripened before being used as a meal. Ackee is not fit for consumption until the pod is fully open and all the arils (yellow part) is fully visible. Consumption of unripe, immature ackee lowers the blood sugar and can also cause jaundice, vomiting, convulsions, coma, and death. Bitter cucumbers, squash, zucchinis, and melons are also not fit for consumption. A bitter taste associated with these foods is a sign that the level of some natural toxins is high in the product and so if consumed, can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular issues.
•For cold foods have enough ice to make ice baths for storage of salads or keep them in the refrigerator at a maximum of five degrees Celsius until the time of consumption.
•Avoid preparing hot meals long ahead of time and if unavoidable, keep the foods on low fire or on a heat source at 60 degrees Celsius or slightly above until time for consumption.
•When travelling from one place to another, it is best to take your own water for drinking or purchase purified water. Avoid drinking water directly from rivers, streams, springs, or any other similar untreated source.
•Sanitise fruits and vegetables before peeling, eating, cutting, or cooking. Using a solution of half cup distilled white vinegar to two cups water and leaving the items to soak for five minutes will remove most common contaminants which are normally associated with food-borne illness outbreaks relating to fruits and vegetables. Prior to consumption the sanitised produce should be rinsed thoroughly with clean water.
•When transporting foods to another location, insulated carriers such as igloos, iceboxes and thermoses work well for temperature control. Ice packs or shaved ice in an igloo are also extremely useful in maintaining cold food temperatures.
•Cover foods whilst in storage or during preparation as flies and other pest are carriers of many types of disease-causing germs. Dust and other environmental contaminants can also be the source of several types of bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses.
•Foods such as peanuts and tree nuts, seafood, eggs, soy, milk, honey, and wheat are common food allergens that should be carefully managed to avoid contact with other foods which are non-allergens. Food allergies result in hives, skin rashes, and shortness of breath, respiratory distress and even death.
•When eating out, ensure that hot foods are kept and served hot and that cold foods kept cold and severed cold. Hot foods such as meat, pies, salads, patty, soup, cooked rice, cooked pasta, and other similar items left out without temperature control and require reheating before consumption are to be avoided as they are likely to result in a food-borne illness of rapid onset.
•When hot food items are pre-prepared for later use, ensure that these foods are cooled quickly; once the steam stops, place the item into sealed containers and refrigerate at five degrees Celsius or lower. Leftover food items are to be handled in the same manner, cooled quickly and then refrigerate.
•Reheat leftover foods by ensuring that the heat is spread evenly throughout the item before consumption. Do not consume reheated foods with cold spots.
Food-borne illnesses are preventable
The occurrence of food-borne illnesses is a growing public health concern as they contribute significantly to the global burden of disease and mortality annually while putting strain on families, health-care systems, and the wider society. Control of food-borne illnesses is based on avoidance of contaminated food, destruction of contaminants, and preventing the spread of contaminants. Purchasing foods from reputable sources, selecting, and using safe raw ingredients in meal preparation, adhering to proper preparation and handling techniques as well as employing good personal hygiene guarantees the prevention of food-borne illnesses so that the celebratory and festive events remain as a pleasant memory.
Karlene Atkinson is a public health specialist and lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of Technology Jamaica.
Avoid preparing hot meals long ahead of time and if unavoidable, keep the foods on low fire or on a heat source at 60 degrees Celsius or slightly above until time for consumption. (Photo: Pexels)
Karlene Atkinson
