Reach the Montgomery County Health Department at 765-364-6440 or visit online at www.montgomerycounty.in.gov/
health.
September is National Food Safety Education Month. This month seeks to educate people regarding food poisoning, its causes and symptoms and some ways we prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses. Unsanitary food preparation, undercooked meat and cross contamination are just a few ways food poisoning can spread. Harmful microscopic critters, such as the bacteria E. coli, can cause food-borne illnesses and can create unpleasant and even painful symptoms within us. Some symptoms of food poisoning include: nausea, vomiting, watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps and fever. These symptoms may even require a visit to the doctor’s office if they are severe. Everyone is vulnerable to food poisoning. Children, pregnant women and those over the age of 65, however, are most vulnerable to food poisoning and its ill effects. There are, however, a few simple ways to help prevent the spread of food-borne illness and avoid becoming ill with these nasty symptoms.
Food poisoning can be prevented with four simple actions: clean, separate, cook and chill. Before cooking, ensure that you wash your hands, countertops and any utensils that may be used while cooking. Wash your hands for 20 or more seconds, rinse produce under running water and clean surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after preparing food.
Along with cleaning, keep any raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs apart from the other food items you are cooking with. Separating these uncooked food items from those that do not need to be cooked can help prevent the spread of harmful bacteria. Also keep raw, uncooked food items in separate places in the refrigerator and prepare them on separate cutting boards. Once prepared, make sure these uncooked items are cooked to the proper temperature in order to kill any germs.
Use a clean food thermometer each time you cook raw meat and poultry to check when their internal temperatures are at a safe level to eat. A list of necessary internal temperatures for various types and cuts of meat can be found on the CDC’s website listed below.
Finally, properly refrigerate any leftover food items and know when they have spoiled. Refrigerators must be kept below 40 degrees F to make sure germs do not spread quickly. Food that has been left in open air for more than two hours must be thrown out. Thaw frozen food in cold water or a microwave and not on the counter. Following these four steps — clean, separate, cook and chill — can help prevent the spread of food borne illnesses and keep you and your family healthy while enjoying delicious meals together.
Should you believe that you have a foodborne illness, you can follow the link below to report the illness to the Montgomery County Health Department at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mchd_foodillnesssurvey or contact the health department at 765-364-6440.
Aaron Webb, Wabash College ‘20, is an intern with the Montgomery County Health Department.
