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To Your Health!
Food Safety for Seniors
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This presentation will cover

• Why some people face special risks
• Microorganisms of concern
• How to minimize risk of foodborne illness

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Estimates of Foodborne Illness in the U.S. each
Year

• 76 million peoplebecome ill

5,000 people die
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Some People Face Special Risks

• A variety of people may face these special
  risks
• Pregnant women
• Very young children
• People with chronic illnesses or weakened
  immune systems
• Older adults

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Why Older Adults?

• Immune systems weaken with age
• Stomach acid decreases as you get older
• Diseases/illnesses may further weaken the body

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Recognizing Foodborne Illness

• Cant see, smell or taste bacteria in food
• Often takes 1 to 3 days to cause illness, but can
  take up to 6 weeks

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Recognizing Foodborne Illness

• If you become ill after eating out, call your
  local health department so they can
  investigate.
• By following the basic rules of food safety,
  you can help prevent foodborne illness for
  yourself and others.

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3 Pathogens of Special Importance to Older Adults

• Escherichia coli O157H7
• Salmonella
• Listeria monocytogenes

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E. coli

• Lives in intestines of healthy cattle and other
  ruminant animals.
• Typical food sources
• Undercooked ground meats,
• Contaminated produce served raw (lettuce,
  spinach, sprouts),
• Unpasteurized milk

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Salmonella

• Salmonella outbreaks have been associated with
• Raw and undercooked eggs
• Undercooked poultry and meat
• Raw milk
• Produce and unpasteurized juice
• Why eggs?
• Salmonella can grow both inside the egg and on
  the outside of shells

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Listeria

• Bacteria widespread in nature, soil, water
• Survives and grows at refrigerator temperatures!
• Risky Foods Refrigerated Ready-to-Eat foods
  (i.e. deli salads, lunch meats, hot dogs, soft
  cheeses made with raw milk)

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Listeria

• Almost all cases elderly, pregnant women and
  immune-compromised persons
• Mild gastrointestinal symptoms 8-48 hrs
• Invasive illness 2-6 weeks following exposure
• Fever, muscle aches, headache, loss of balance,
  bacteremia, meningitis, encephalitis
• 20-30 death rate

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Food Safety at Home

• Follow four basic rules
• Clean
• Separate
• Cook
• Chill
• Avoid high risk foods

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Food Safety at Home
CLEAN

• Wash your hands frequently!
• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and
  counter tops with warm soapy water after
  preparing each food and before going to next one.
• For added protection, spray counter tops and
  cutting boards with kitchen sanitizer (1 tsp
  bleach to 1 quart water)

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Clean Fresh Produce

• Rinse raw produce in clean running water.
• Scrub rinds of melons under running water before
  cutting.

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Change Dish Cloths/Towels Often

• Wet or damp dishcloths and sponges are ideal
  places for bacterial growth.

• Use paper towels or disposable cloths to clean up
  kitchen surfaces after working with raw meat,
  fish or poultry.
• Wash dish cloths regularly.
• Avoid sponges, if possible or sanitize often.

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Food Safety at Home
SEPARATE

• Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other
  foods in your grocery shopping cart and your
  refrigerator.
• If possible, use different cutting boards for raw
  meats and ready-to-each foods.
• Place cooked food on a clean plate.

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Food Safety at Home
COOK

• Use a clean food thermometer to make sure meat,
  poultry, casseroles and other foods are properly
  cooked all the way through.
• Cook roasts and steaks to at least 145 F and
  poultry to at least 165 F.

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Food Safety at Home
COOK

• Cook ground beef to at least 160F.
• Cook eggs until yolk and white are firm.
• Fish should be opaque and flake easily with a
  fork.

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Food Safety at Home
COOK

• When cooking in a microwave oven, stir or rotate
  to make sure there are no cold spots where
  bacteria can survive.
• Reheat leftovers to 165 F. Bring sauces, soups
  and gravy to a boil.

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Food Safety at Home
CHILL

• Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food
  and leftovers within 2 hours.
• Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow
  containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
• Use a thermometer to make sure refrigerator is
  35-40F.

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Food Safety at Home
CHILL

• Never thaw foods at room temperature.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
• Dont pack the refrigerator too full. Cold air
  must circulate to keep food safe.

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Special Foods/Special Advice
Foods seniors advised NOT to eat

• Soft cheeses, such as feta, Brie, Camembert,
  blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese, if made
  with unpasteurized milk
• Raw or unpasteurized milk
• Why? Common source of Listeria

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Special Foods/Special Advice
Foods seniors advised NOT to eat

• Raw fin fish and shellfish, including oysters,
  clams, mussels, and scallops. (Vibrio other
  pathogens)
• Raw or lightly cooked egg or egg products,
  including salad dressings, cookie or cake
  batter, sauces, and beverages such as egg nog.
  (Salmonella)

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Special Foods/Special Advice
Foods seniors advised NOT to eat

• Raw meat or poultry
• Raw sprouts
• Unpasteurized or untreated fruit or vegetable
  juice
• Why? E. coli and Salmonella

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Special Foods/Special Advice
Foods seniors advised NOT to eat

• Refrigerated pates, meat spreads or cold smoked
  fish, unless reheated.
• Hot dogs and luncheon meats, unless reheated.
• Why? Potential source of Listeria

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Special Foods/Special Advice
Why Reheat Ready-to-eat (RTE) Meat, Poultry and
Fish Products?

• Easily contaminated with Listeria post
  processing in packing plant, deli or home.
• Listeria, if present, grows during refrigerated
  storage.
• Re-heating to steaming hot (165F) destroys any
  Listeria that may be present.

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Other Tips for Enhancing Safety of RTE Meat and
Poultry Products

• Select products made with additives that slow
  the growth of Listeria. Look for sodium or
  potassium lactate, and sodium or potassium
  diacetate in the ingredient list.
• Observe Use-by dates for unopened packages.
• Once opened, use or freeze hot dogs within 1
  week deli and luncheon meats within 3 to
  4 days.

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Remember
When in doubt...
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Toss it out!
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For more information

• The FDA Hotline - 1-888-SAFEFOOD (723-3366)
• The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
  1-800-535-4555
• Colorado SafeFood website http//www.colostate.ed
  u/Orgs/safefood

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Questions?
Funding for this project provided in part through
USDAs National Integrated Food Safety
Initiative, Grant 2004-51110-02160. Slides
adapted from To Your Health, developed by U.S.
Food and Drug Administration Baltimore
District-Public Affairs Staff
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Food Safety Bingo

• Which population group is at increased risk for
  infection with Listeria?
• (Older adults)
• What type of food should be stored above raw
  foods?
• (Ready-to-eat)
• What is the first thing that you should do to a
  cutting board after using it for raw meats?
• (Wash)
• What should you do to a cutting board after it is
  washed in soapy water and rinsed thoroughly?
• (Sanitize)

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Food Safety Bingo

• Name a food that has been associated with
  outbreaks of listeriosis
• (Soft raw milk cheese)
• After washing a surface, always do this.
• (Rinse)
• To what temperature should hamburger be cooked?
• (160F)
• Length of time its safe to keep opened packages
  of deli meats in the refrigerator?
• (3-5 days)
• Listeria is easily destroyed by what factor?
• (Heat)

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Food Safety Bingo

• What temperature should your freezer be?
• (0F)
• Your refrigerator should be no warmer than ___F.
  
• (40F)
• How long can perishable foods be safely held on
  the countertop?
• (2 hours, total)
• What type of a container should you use to cool
  hot foods?
• (Shallow)
• What should you use to check the temperature of
  your refrigerator?
• (refrigerator thermometer)

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Food Safety Bingo

• Where should you put a thermometer in your
  refrigerator?
• (In the front)
• Where should you store raw meat when you are
  marinating it?
• (Inside refrigerator)
• On which shelf of the refrigerator should you
  store raw meats?
• (Bottom)
• Which bacteria can grow in the refrigerator?
• (Listeria)
• What should you do when ice builds up inside your
  freezer?
• (Defrost)

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Food Safety Bingo

• When the weather is hot, where are groceries
  safest from heat during the transport home?
• (Inside the car-not the trunk)
• What should you use to wash your hands?
• (Soap)
• If the outside temperature is 90F or above, how
  long can food sit at room temperature?
• (1 hour)
• What is the minimal amount of time that you
  should wash your hands?
• (20 seconds)
• Finish the sentence Food Safety ___________.
• (begins at home)