Mudah-mudahan bermanfaat...Title: Foodborne Illness Peaks in Summer -- Why?
fngraf1.gifFood Safety and Inspection Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20250-3700
June 1999
Foodborne Illness Peaks In Summer -- Why?
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) looked at the data collected for the first 3 years of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) project to help answer some of these questions. The FoodNet project was developed to better characterize, understand, and respond to foodborne illnesses in the United States. It is a collaborative project between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Together with state and local health departments in seven selected sites, these agencies work together to collect data on the incidence and causes of foodborne diseases in the United States. FoodNet conducts active surveillance to identify confirmed cases of seven targeted pathogenic bacteria (Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia). Data collection has been completed for 3 years, 1996, 1997, and 1998 [See Figure 1. Source: CDC "Incidence of Foodborne Illnesses: Preliminary Data from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) – United States, 1998." MMWR March 12, 1999/48(09); 189-194].
(figure 1 about here)
Review of the 1996 through 1998 FoodNet data showed an increase in laboratory-confirmed infections caused by E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, and Salmonella during the summer months (June through August). But why? The answer appears to be two-fold.
First, there are the natural causes. Bacteria are present throughout the environment in soil, air, water, and in the bodies of people and animals. These microorganisms grow faster in the warm summer months. Most foodborne bacteria grow fastest at temperatures from 90 to 110 ° F. Bacteria also need moisture to flourish, and summer weather is often hot and humid.
Given the right circumstances, pathogenic bacteria can quickly multiply on food to large numbers. When this happens, someone eating the food can get sick.
Second, there are the "people" causes for the upswing in summertime foodborne illnesses. Outside activities increase. More people are cooking outside at picnics, barbecues, and on camping trips. The safety controls that a kitchen provides -- thermostat-controlled cooking, refrigeration, and washing facilities -- are usually not available.
Fortunately, people seldom get sick from contaminated food because most people have a healthy immune system that protects them not only from bacteria on food, but from other harmful organisms in the environment. At the same time, FSIS, other government agencies, and food producers go to great lengths to keep food safe. And, of course, consumers can protect themselves at home with proper refrigeration and thorough cooking of perishable foods.
We know foodborne illness increases in warm weather. We also know that consumers can follow four simple steps to safer food in the summertime.
Clean: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often
Unwashed hands are a prime cause of foodborne illness.
- Whenever possible, wash your hands with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
- When eating away from home, pack clean, wet, disposable washcloths and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling, and serving food is a prime cause of foodborne illness.
- When packing the cooler chest for an outing, wrap raw meats securely; avoid raw meat juices from coming in contact with ready to eat foods.
- Wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that held the raw meat or poultry before using again for cooked food.
Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
- Take your thermometer along. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside, so be sure that meats are cooked thoroughly. Check them with a thermometer.
- Cook hamburger and other ground meats (veal, lamb, and pork) to an internal temperature of 160 ° F, and ground poultry to 165 ° F.
- Cook steaks and roasts that have been tenderized, boned, rolled, etc., to an internal temperature of 160 ° F for medium, and 170 ° F for well-done. Whole steaks and roasts may be cooked to 145 ° F for medium rare.
- Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 ° F in the thigh. Breast meat should be cooked to 170 ° F.
- Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site. Partial cooking of foods ahead of time allows bacteria to survive and multiply to the point that subsequent cooking cannot destroy them.
Holding food at an unsafe temperature is a prime cause of foodborne illness. Keep cold foods cold!
- Cold refrigerated perishable foods like luncheon meats, cooked meats, chicken, and potato or pasta salads should be kept in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, ice packs, or containers of frozen water.
- Consider packing canned beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another cooler because the beverage cooler will probably be opened frequently.
- Keep the cooler out of the trunk and place in the shade or shelter, out of the sun, whenever possible to help keep foods cold.
- Preserve the cold temperature of the cooler by replenishing the ice as soon as it starts melting.
- If a cooler chest is not an option, consider taking fruits, vegetables, hard cheeses, canned or dried meats, dried cereal, bread, peanut butter, crackers, and a bottle of refreshing beverage.
- Take-out foods: If you don’t plan to eat take-out foods within 2 hours of purchase, plan ahead and chill the food in your refrigerator before packing for your outing.
Food left out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours may not be safe to eat. At 90 ° F or above, food should not be left out over 1 hour. Play it safe; put leftover perishables back on ice once you finish eating so they do not spoil or become unsafe to eat.
If you have any doubts, throw it out.
