UNDERSTANDING FOODBORNE ILLNESS SEPTEMBER IS FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION MONTH

DOVER (September 18, 2014) - Foodborne illness sickens over hundreds of Delawareans each year and can even be fatal in patients with weakened immune systems, underlying conditions or the very young. Food is contaminated when it comes into contact with bacteria and other microorganisms. Bacteria could be almost anywhere and are impossible to see. The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) reminds Delawareans that September is Food Safety Education Month and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Types and symptoms of foodborne illnesses:

The best way to avoid such misery is to know how to prevent foodborne illness. Some simple tips could save your stomach:

• From the store: buy cold food like meat and poultry right before checkout. Separate raw meat and poultry from other food in your cart.
• Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting, or cooking.
• Defrost safely: completely defrost meat and poultry before grilling:
• Under refrigeration maintaining at 40 F or below;
• Completely submerged under running water of 70 F or below;
• As a part of the cooking process (i.e. microwave thawing).
• Marinating: in the refrigerator, not the counter. If marinade is to be used on cooked food, reserve some marinade before putting raw foods in it.
• Transporting: use an insulated cooler with ice or ice packs to keep food at 40 F or below.
• Keep cold food cold: refrigerate meat and poultry until use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will be cooked immediately.
• Keep everything clean: don't use the same platter and utensils for both raw and cooked meat and poultry.
• Pre-cooking: pre-cooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove reduces grilling time. Make sure food goes immediately onto the grill.
• Serving: don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria in raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.
• Leftovers: refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers.

Cook meat to safe minimal temperatures:

Cooks should get into the habit of checking the internal temperature of food, especially meat, poultry and egg dishes. Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.

For more information on food safety, go to www.foodsafety.gov/ or www.dhss.delaware.gov/dph/hsp/foodsafety.html

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.