FOODBORNE ILLNESSES Allison Fischer, Amanda Hoffman, Amy Brunner, Emily Richardson
THE PROBLEM
“Diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food.
World Health Organization
THE BASICS
THE STATS
Each year: 1 in 6 Americans get sick (48 million
people) 128,000 are hospitalized 3,000 die
THE CAUSES KNOWN PATHOGENS
31 know pathogens
Tracked by our public health systems to understand how many people they affect
UNSPECIFIED AGENTS May come from the
chemicals or other substances in our food
No way to prove the specific agent or track them
THE POINT OF CONTAMINATION
When the food is developing
When the food is being picked
When the food is being processed
When the food is being prepared
During the time between preparation and consuming
THE SPREAD Outbreaks often occur with foodborne illnesses at
both the local and the national level
Result when food is contaminated at the point of growth or packaging
Major outbreaks gain media attention to keep the public informed
Lead to recalls, consumers refusal to purchase a product and panic
THE SYMPTOMS Vary greatly depending on:
Type of pathogen Type of food consumed Person consuming the food
Range in severity from flu-like symptoms to death
EXAMPLES OF PATHOGENS
SALMONELLA
SYMPTOMS Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Fever
DURATION/TREATMENT
Last few days to a week
Medical attention is usually not necessary
FOUND IN Meats
Milk
Eggs
E.COLI
SYMPTOMS Stomach
cramps
Vomiting
Kidney failure/death (extreme cases)
DURATION/TREATMENT
5 to 10 days for minor symptoms
If symptoms last longer than 2 weeks the kidneys may be in danger and hospitalization could be needed
FOUND IN Undercooked
beef
Vegetables watered with infected water
LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES
SYMPTOMS Fever
Muscle aches
Miscarriage or stillbirth for pregnant women
Complications in the nervous system leading to confusion, loss of balance and convulsions
DURATION/TREATMENT
5 to 10 days for mild symptoms
Much longer or permanent complications
Antibiotics typically needed
FOUND IN Raw meats and
vegetables
Processed foods (soft cheese, hots dogs, lunchmeat)
THE COSTS
PREVENTION Lobbying and advocating new laws to protect
consumers
Research and tracking diseases
The FDA spends more than $1.3 billion each year to reduce foodborne illness
PRODUCT LOSS Outbreaks lead to recalls where thousands of
dollars worth of a product must be disposed of in order to prevent further disease
In major outbreaks consumers are often hesitant to purchase a product even after it has been reestablished as safe, leading to much lower profits for the companies
MEDICAL Medications
Hospital bills
Decreased income due to inability to work while ill
Costs of death
WHO’S INVOLVED
AT RISK The elderly
Pregnant women
Immune-compromised individuals
Children (especially under the age of 5)
PREVENTION PROGRAM FOCUS Care takers and parents of the at risk populations
The at risk populations themselves
Food service workers
All consumers
FIGHT BAC! CAMPAIGN
FOUR FOCUS AREAS
Clean
Separate
Cook
Chill
CLEAN! Personal hygiene is key
Hand washing after changing diapers or using the bathroom to limit spread of fecal matter
Keep pets (and their food bowls, toys, liter boxes) away from food preparation
Keep counters and refrigerator clean and free of mold
SEPERATE! Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from
other foods
Thoroughly wash hands, utensils and cutting boards before touching another food
Never put cooked food back onto the plate it was on when raw
Use different sponges, clothes and towels in cleaning
COOK! Cooking foods is the best way to rid them of any
pathogens
Most people use visual clues to determine when food is adequately cooked, but this is not always the safest method
Thermometers should always be used to check the internal temperature of meat
All leftovers should be reheated to 165°F
CHILL! Foodborne illness from improper cooling and
thawing is relatively rare, but still does occur
Leftovers from restaurants should be refrigerated within two hours
Foods should be thawed in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave
FURTHER PROTECTION TIPS
PAY ATTENTION, BE SMART Take advantage of new packing technology (vacuum
sealing and flash freezing)
Throw away foods past the “sell by” date on the container
At risk groups may want to take prebiotics and probiotics
Educate yourself and ask questions to doctors, nurses or health educators if you are unsure of something
CONCLUSIONS
SUPRISES The costs of foodborne illness are extreme
Even the $1.3 billion given by the FDA for prevention is not enough
The actual number of foodborne illness cases is much higher than the statistics report People do not go to the doctor Doctor does not test for foodborne illness Symptoms clear up before a proper diagnosis can be
made
WHAT MORE CAN WE DO?
EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE!!
REFERENCES CDC estimates of foodborne illness in the united states. (2011,
February). Retrieved
from http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/PDFs/FACTSHEET_A_FINDINGS.pdf
Diagnosing and treating foodborne illness. (2012, January 24). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/facts.html
Food safety and foodborne illness. (2007, March). Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs237/en/
Linscott, A. J. (2011). Food-borne illnesses. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter, 33 (6),
41-45.
McCabe-Sellers, B.J. & Beattie, S.E. (Nov 2004). Food safety: emerging trends in
foodborne illness surveillance and prevention. Journal of the American
Dietetic Association, 104(11), 1708-1717. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2004.08.028
Medeiros, L.C., Hillers, V.N., Kendall, P.A. & Mason, A. (2001). Food safety education:
what should we be teaching to consumers? Journal of Nutrition Education, 33(2),
108-113.
Pelton, S. I. (2011). Watch for foodborne illness. Pediatric News, 45 (7), 4.
Pigott, D. C. (2008). Foodborne illness. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America,
26 (2). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. (2010). U.S. Food and drug
administration; foodborne illness costs nation $152 billion annually. MLCF, 26.
Puzo, D. P. (1997). USDA estimates financial costs of foodborne illness. Restaurants
and Institutions, 107 (16), 80.
Weber, C.J. (April 2005). Update on foodborne diseases. Urologic Nursing, 25(2), 126-
128.