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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.
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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!
