I should have known better. I have been told time and time again that anything creamy such as egg salad, cream soups, etc. are subject to food contamination. But I went against my better judgment and have paid for it this past week after eating egg salad off a salad bar and literally losing a week. It really clarified to me why I should have paid attention!
I am happily on the mend now and am beginning to learn more about just how common foodborne illness is. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) about 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases. Apparently many food poisonings that occur do not get into this estimate simply because they go unreported. Fortunately I did not have to be hospitalized (although I did make a trip to the doctor) and I did manage to survive!
With school just starting up again and school lunches being stored for up to 4 hours, concern is about the safety of this for young children. A study just done by the American Academy of Pediatrics resulted in some startling conclusions:
Results: Lunches, with at least 1 perishable item in each, were assessed from 235 parent-child dyads. Approximately 39% (n = 276) of the 705 lunches analyzed had no ice packs, 45.1% (n = 318) had 1 ice pack, and 88.2% (n = 622) of lunches were at ambient temperatures. Only 1.6% (n = 22) of perishable items (n = 1361) were in the safe temperature zone. Even with multiple ice packs, the majority of lunch items (>90%) were at unsafe temperatures.
Conclusions: These results provide initial data on how frequently sack lunches sent by parents of preschool-aged children are kept at unsafe temperatures. Education of parents and the public must be focused on methods of packing lunches that allow the food to remain in the safe temperature zone to prevent foodborne illness.
The recent recall of ground turkey meat (36 million pounds) by Cargill, INC. that has caused one death and several illnesses has set off major concerns for food safety. (For those of you who might still have this recalled meat in your freezer go to this site to find out exactly what packages have been recalled). According to Dr. Mercola, experts say the actual number of people infected is probably much higher, as not everyone seeks treatment for Salmonella infection. The turkey is infected with the strain called Salmonella Heidelberg, which is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. Dr. Mercola warns us about the dangers of purchasing meat that we know comes from factory farms. He states: “If you still buy your meat at your local supermarket, you should know that you are most often directly supporting a factory farm food system that promotes widespread contamination.
Consumer Reports tests indicated that 83% of fresh whole broiler chickens bought at supermarkets nationwide harbor campylobacter or salmonella, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease.Campylobacter was present in 81 percent of the chickens, salmonella in 15 percent; and both in 13 percent. Only 17 percent contained neither pathogen. No major brand fared better than others overall. Most of the bacteria tested showed resistance to one or more antibiotics. Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, showing that it’s possible for chicken to arrive in stores without that bacterium riding along. …57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter, however. Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens. The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue’s: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics.
The message is clear: Consumers still can’t let down their guard. They must cook chicken to at least 165º F and prevent raw chicken or its juices from touching any other food. (And of course I have to add to steer clear of all of those creamy soups and salads!) I do plan to pass on the lunchbox information to all the moms I know! I am just thankful that when my turn came for a foodborne illness attack, my immune system was pretty strong. Daily I take a supplement specifically to boost the interferon in my immune system. A recent laboratory study showed that the ingredients in this supplement impacts Natural Killer (NK) cells, an important part of our frontline immune system defenses. I also include a little capsule that helps to support a healthy digestive system and helps to restore a natural digestive balance and protects me against such things as what I have just encountered! I am not sure just how much more serious, at my age, this foodborne illness could have been had I not worked on prevention.
What about you? What is your plan to protect yourself from these ongoing foodborne illnesses?