Older Adults: Food Poisoning can be Prevented

Tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

You may never have gotten sick from the mishandling of food in the past, but as an older adult, you are more vulnerable to foodborne illness. As you age, your immune system weakens, making it harder to fight off bacteria and serious illness. What's more, you have less stomach acid to control bacteria and weakened kidneys to help filter bacteria from the blood. Once contracted, infections from foodborne illness can be difficult to treat, and can reoccur.

The good news is that food poisoning can be prevented if you follow proper home food safety practices. Older adults can help protect themselves by following four simple food safety guidelines:

Wash Hands Often

Proper hand washing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of foodborne illness and significantly reduce the spread of the common cold and flu.

• Wash hands before, during and after meal preparation.
• Wash hands in warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
• Don't forget to keep surfaces clean. Keep shelves, counter tops, tables, refrigerators and freezers clean.

Keep Raw Meats and Ready-to-Eat Foods Separate

Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.

• Use two cuttings boards: one strictly for raw meat, poultry and seafood; the other for ready-to-eat foods like breads and vegetables.
• Wash cutting boards thoroughly in hot soapy water after each use or place in dishwasher. Use a bleach solution (i.e., one tablespoon bleach in one quart water) or other sanitizing solution and rinse with clean water.
• Discard old cutting boards that have cracks, crevices and excessive knife scars.

Cook to Proper Temperatures

Harmful bacteria are destroyed when food is cooked to proper temperatures. "Buy a food thermometer and use it," Berning says. "This is the only reliable way to ensure safety and determine the doneness of cooked foods."

• Always use a food thermometer to check the doneness of meat, poultry, seafood and dishes containing eggs.
• Use the following quick internal temperature guide:
  Beef, veal, lamb 145°F
  Pork – 160°F
  Poultry at least 165°F
  Ground beef, veal, lamb 160°F ; pork 145°F
  Ground poultry 165°F
  Finfish opaque flesh, flakes with a fork
  Shellfish opaque flesh throughout
  Eggs yolk and white are firm, not runny
  Casseroles, egg dishes 160°F
  Leftovers 165°F; boil liquids (soup, gravy)
• Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F. Older adults should reheat all deli-style meats.
• Boil a meat marinade for several minutes if you plan to re-use it.

Refrigerate Promptly Below 40° F

Refrigerate foods quickly and at a proper temperature to slow the growth of bacteria and prevent foodborne illness.

• Make sure your refrigerator is set below 40°F.
• Keep a refrigerator thermometer in your refrigerator and check it regularly.
• Refrigerate perishable food as soon as you get home from the store.
• Refrigerate all leftover foods from a meal within two hours. When outdoors and the temperature is 90°F or warmer, that time is reduced to one hour.
• Store foods in small, shallow containers (two inches deep or less).
• Use or discard opened packages of luncheon meats or spreads within three to five days. Consume by the "use-by" date on the package.
• Thaw food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave right before cooking.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator.

Older adults should not eat meats, poultry and seafood that are raw or undercooked. Also, unpasteurized dairy products like "raw" milk and some imported cheeses can pose safety threats to older adults. Below is a list of foods that are considered risky for older adults.

If you are in an older adult...

If you think you have contracted a foodborne illness, contact your health care provider.