Summer holds all the holidays that just seem better with a grilled burger and potato salad, plus it’s the best time for family reunion cook-outs and company picnics. However, hot weather and outdoor dining can be a recipe for food poisoning.
According to the Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, an estimated 48 million Americans, or one in six, get sick from food poisoning each year. 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.
Most food poisoning, which manifests as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea within a few hours of eating contaminated food, makes people miserable ---as one victim put it, “first you’re afraid you’re going to die and then after a couple of hours you’re afraid you won’t.” 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 at your summer celebrations, 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
