Food Poisoning in Your Kitchen

Did you know over seven million Americans will suffer from food poisoning this year? I’m sure you have heard about food poisoning from restuarants on the news, but did you know you can also get food poisoning from your own kitchen? Did you know that your toilet is cleaner than your sink? Hard to believe? It’s true. You could be harming you and your family and not even know it. The most serious types of food poisoning are due to bacteria. The more bacteria that is present, the more likely you are to become ill. Bacteria multiplies pretty fast. Bacteria needs moisture, food, warmth and time to spread. People with low resistance to diseases are more likely to get food poisoning since their immune system can’t fight it off as easily as someone who is healthy. Pregnant women, babies, and elderly people are the ones who are more at risk of getting food poisoning.

Please follow the tips below to keep you and your family safe.

– Buy foods that are in good condition. Don’t buy red meats that has a brownish tint to it.
– Don’t buy red meats that have a brownish tint to it.
– Don’t buy can goods that are dented, cracked, or bulging at the top.
– Food in the refrigarator should be cold to the touch. Keep your Refrigarator set at forty degrees or below.
– Food in your freezer should be rock hard.
– Don’t thaw out meat on counters at room temperature. Instead thaw your meat in your refrigarator
– Throw away meat that has been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours.
– Pour bleach down your kitchen sink every other day to kill the bacteria that sticks to the drain.
– Wash your cutting board well. Wash it first with hot soapy water and then with bleach.
– Don’t eat raw eggs. Raw cake mix and raw cookie dough can cause food posioning due to the raw eggs.
– Wash your dirty dishes right away and then let them air dry.
– After handling raw meat, be sure to wash your hans with a sanatizer.
– Never serve your cooked food with the utensils you used to cook them with.

Following these tips can greatly reduce your chances of getting food posioning. Although some of these maybe basic common sense, some people just don’t know. I know I have left dirty dishes in the sink all day at times and wash them that night. I’ve sat my meat in a bowl with a lid to thaw it. So even though they are somewhat common sense things to do, not everyone knows about food posioning. The symptoms of food poisoning can last for days at a time.The Symptoms include abdominal pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and fever. The symptoms usually come on suddenly, but can occur several days after eating contaminated food. They will sometimes will get better on their own, but often people have to visit the doctor for treatment.