Foodborne pathogens could be growing in your food
When improperly handled, prepared, or stored- food can make a person very sick. And can even result in fatal consequences.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The CDC reports that major foodborne pathogens caused 9.9 million foodborne illnesses in the US in 2019.
This resulted in about 53,000 hospitalizations and almost 1,000 deaths.
Experts say many of these could have been avoided if people had taken the proper precautions.
When many think of food safety, they often think of the cleanliness of the food-prep area and the internal temperature of the food.
While these measures are incredibly important for food safety, so is what happens after the food has been prepared.
Foodsafety.gov states that dangerous bacteria can multiply the quickest between 40°F and 140°F.
Food spent in this range can make a person sick if left out for more than 2 hours, said Andrew Woody, the Harvey’s dining room supervisor.
“But two hours is the absolute maximum,” Woody said. “So you want to make sure that, you know, whatever you have- if you’re going to go fill up your tank of gas, or go pick something up from the grocery store. Make sure you get the food in a refrigerator before two hours.”
Just because food looks, smells, or even tastes good- it could still make a person very sick.
Even if it’s been heated back to a normally safe temperature, dead bacteria could still cause problems.
Amy Bogue, the Allegro Family Clinic president said the first thing the body will do when it has been infected with a foodborne illness is to evacuate the substance.
“Most likely your stomach is going to start rejecting, and is trying to get that illness out,” Bogue said. “And you do that by diarrhea or vomiting. And so, once you start that process, then you’re at risk for dehydration. Which also could cause an electrolyte imbalance. Most often if someone has to go seek medical care, it’s because they’re dehydrated.”
Bogue said that if a person thinks they have a foodborne illness and aren’t getting better, they should seek medical attention.
Amy Bogue, Allegro president
“You would definitely need to seek medical care if it’s not getting better, usually within 24 hours,” Bogue said. “Typically that’s the time frame. I mean, max 48 hours of a foodborne illness. But if you’re not improving, I would definitely seek medical care. Because we may need to run some labs, get some stool samples, and kind of dig a little further.”
Freezing or heating spoiled foods is not a safe option for eliminating the risks of foodborne illness.
When in doubt, throw it out.
While the max time food should be left out is two hours, foodsafety.gov says at temperatures above 90°F, food should not be left out for more than one hour.
