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To Eat, or Not To Eat. The Questionable Ingredients in Restaurant Food By Lynnea M. Lau, BS MPH Student at Walden University February 6, 2011. Nutrition. The act or Process of nourishing or being nourished; the processes by which an animal or plant consumes and utilizes food substances.
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To Eat, or Not To Eat The Questionable Ingredients in Restaurant Food By LynneaM. Lau, BS MPH Student at Walden University February 6, 2011
Nutrition • The act or Process of nourishing or being nourished; the processes by which an animal or plant consumes and utilizes food substances. Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2010). Retrieved on January 19, 2011, from; www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutrtion
Food Pyramid • Emphasizes the need for fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reduced-fat milk and milk products. • The inclusion of lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. • Promotes a diet low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and sugars. United States Dept. of Agriculture (2009). Retrieved on January 19, 2011, from; www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines
What’s in a Meal? • Most restaurants do not openly reveal the ingredients they use in their products. • The restaurants that do share nutrition information, usually do not provide information on: • Additional fats, oilsand spices. • Chemical additives: preservatives, color and flavor enhancement. • Unintended additives such as body fluids, insects, hair, fecal matter, etc. • Usually cause no immediate harm but, may lead to a severe illness.
How to Find Nutrition Information • Internet • Restaurant’s website. • Restaurant survey websites. • Customer Service • Telephone restaurant. • Telephone corporate. • Chain restaurants often have products in grocery stores with nutrition information on label.
Take out • Chinese take out can amount to: • High sodium • High calories • High fat • Large portions • Good choices when eating Chinese food • Choose white rice over fried • Sauces contain a lot of salt and fat, choose carefully • “Save half for later” Mclndoo, 2010Mclndoo, H. (2010). Chinese Restaurant Takeout: Good Fortune or Not?. Environmental Nutrition, 33(10), 5. Retrieved on February 1, 2011; from EBSCOhost.
The Unknown • Diabetic • Extra sugars and fats contribute to the disease process and potential for acute episodes. • Allergies • Unidentified additives may prove harmful to a person who is allergic to those additives or their byproducts. • Heart Disease • Extra calories, saturated and trans fats may contribute to the disease process. • Everyone • Unintended contamination may result in severe illness.
Types of Foodborne Illnesses • Salmonellosis • Diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps (4-7 days). • E. Coli • Diarrhea, UTI, Respiratory illness and septicemia (needs antibiotic treatment). • Shigellosis • Bloody diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps (5-7 days). • Hepatitis A • Fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice (antibody protection after remission). for more info: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2009/ CDC (2010). Retrieved on January 19, 2011, from; www.cdc.gov
Environmental • Behind the scenes, many things are happening… • Chemicals are used in food prep area for cleaning. • Not intended for consumption. • Not intended for use in kitchen. • Hands are coming in contact with your food… • Making contact with other items, people and contaminants. • Droplets from talking, coughing and sneezing.
Hand Washing Helps • Did the worker wash their hands after using the bathroom? • “Poor personal hygiene, including inadequate hand washing among food handlers, is a common practice that contributes to food borne illness in retail establishments” (Pragle, et al., 2007). • Is the worker carrying a contagious infection? • Contamination of food can be avoided through proper hand washing. Pragle, A., Harding, A., & Mack, J. (2007). Food workers' perspectives on handwashing behaviors and barriers in the restaurant environment. Journal Of Environmental Health, 69(10), 27-32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
References • Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2010). Retrieved on January 19, 2011, from;www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nutrtion • United States Dept. of Agriculture (2009). Retrieved on January 19, 2011, from; www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines • Mclndoo, H. (2010). Chinese Restaurant Takeout: Good Fortune or Not?. Environmental Nutrition, 33(10), 5. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. • CDC (2010). Retrieved on January 19, 2011, from; www.cdc.gov • Pragle, A., Harding, A., & Mack, J. (2007). Food workers' perspectives on handwashing behaviors and barriers in the restaurant environment. Journal Of Environmental Health, 69(10), 27-32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.