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Learn about the unique food safety challenges faced by seniors and practical tips to prevent foodborne illnesses. Discover the importance of proper food handling, storage, and preparation techniques to safeguard against harmful microbes. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe with these essential food safety practices.
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To Your Health! Food Safety for Seniors Barbara H. Ingham Assistant Professor Extension Food Scientist
How Times Have Changed • Food production & distribution • Demographics • Eating patterns • Microbial populations • Medical technology
But Maybe They’re Still the Same Food Safety Practices of Seniors • Visual or ‘time’ cues for meat doneness • Inappropriate cooling • Thawing meat on the counter Barriers to change: Seniors ‘could not be bothered’ or did not plan well enough to behave appropriately
But Maybe They’re Still the Same Food Safety & Elderly Home Delivered Meal Participants • 42% did not eat food when it was delivered • 30% left food on the counter Results: Why are participants not eating food when delivered? What is the best to teach the elderly to safely handle home-delivered meals?
As We Age - Risk for Illness Increases • Immune system weakens • Stomach acid decreases • Underlying illnesses • Physiological changes
How Do Harmful Microbes Make Us Sick? • Foodborne infections – survival of the fittest • Foodborne intoxications – that taste may be your last • Viruses – the silent menace
Recognizing Foodborne Illness • Symptoms of vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea, fever • It’s not the flu! • Seniors at risk for serious illness
Pathogens of Special Concern • Campylobacter - Guillain-Barre syndrome • E. coli O157:H7 – low infective dose • Salmonella – antibiotic resistance • Listeria - high fatality rate
Food Safety at Home: 5 Ways to Fight Bac! • Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often • Cook: Cook to proper temperatures • Chill: Refrigerate promptly • Separate: Prevent cross contamination • Store: Store food properly
Clean: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often • Hand washing….most important of all! • Step 1-Clean surfaces • Step 2-Sanitize surfaces 1 tsp bleach per quart of water • Wash produce before eating
Cook: Cook to Proper Temperatures • Cook It Right . . .Hot enough and long enough to kill harmful bacteria . . . Keep It Hot (140ºF) or higher . . . Reheat it Well (to bubbling) • Use proper containers when heating / microwaving
Chill: Refrigerate Promptly • Refrigerate perishable foods • Transfer hot food to shallow pans for quick cooling • Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator
Separate: Don’t Cross-Contaminate Keep it Clean! • Lather Up • Take Two (cutting boards!) • Clean Your Plate Watch those Juices! • Safely Separate (grocery to home) • Seal It
Store: Store Food Properly • Store it…Don’t ignore it! • Rotate pantry items • Check the refrigerator • Review ‘best by’ or ‘sell by’ dates
Special Foods to Reheat Properly REHEAT foods such as: hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented and dry sausages, and deli-meats. • Reheat these foods until they are steaming hot. If you can’t reheat them, then don’t eat them. • Wash your hands after handling ready-to-eat foods.
Special Foods Seniors Should Not Consume: • Raw or unpasteurized milk or cheese made from raw milk • Soft cheeses- Brie, feta, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses and Mexican-style cheese • Raw or lightly cooked eggs or egg products • Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish • Raw sprouted seeds • Unpasteurized or untreated juice
Eating Out, Bringing In • Keep foods hot… Cold foods cold! • Remember the 2-Hour rule • Bring along a cooler • Divide and conquer • Reheat safely
The Issue: Illness That Is Preventable In most cases, a foodborne illness is a preventable illness. A few steps towards food safety will keep you and those you care about safe and healthy.
The End Thank you!