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!!

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February). Retrieved

from http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/PDFs/FACTSHEET_A_FINDINGS.pdf

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http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/facts.html

Food safety and foodborne illness. (2007, March). Retrieved from

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs237/en/

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