Erma Bombeck once said, “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”
Hot weather and outdoor dining, whether at patriotic picnics, family reunion potlucks, or backyard barbeques can be a recipe for food poisoning. Food poisoning is defined by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health as a condition caused by ingesting bacteria, parasites, or toxins. Even if you make it through the outdoor celebration without incident, you must also be mindful of how you store leftovers. The Food and Drug Administration states that keeping foods chilled at proper temperatures is one of the best ways to prevent or slow the growth of bacteria.
Most food poisoning manifests as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea within a few hours of eating contaminated food. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, unless people become dehydrated, there is rarely a need to seek medical attention. The exceptions to this are cases involving listeria or e.coli. Listeria can negatively affect unborn children and e.coli can damage the lining of tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to kidney failure.
To avoid food poisoning, the Food Safety site from the Department of Health and Human Services encourages people to remember four simple steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill).
Resources:
https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html
https://www.livestrong.com/article/173472-mayonnaise-food-poisoning/
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/the-most-common-sources-of-food-poisoning/386570/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20356230
https://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/Consumers/ucm109899.htm
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely
