Senior citizens have seen a lot of changes over their lifetimes, including the way food is produced and distributed.
At one time, food was produced close to where people lived, and they prepared and ate their food almost exclusively at home. Eating in restaurants was saved for special occasions. Today, our food comes from all over the world, and nearly 50 percent of the money we spend on food is for carry out and restaurant meals.
We have also become more aware and knowledgeable about illnesses that can be caused by harmful bacteria in food. We have discovered new bacteria that can be found in food - bacteria we didn’t even know about years ago. We even know now that some people, including those over age 65, can be more susceptible to getting sick from bacteria in food.
The good news is that seniors who take care to handle food safely can help protect themselves from foodborne illness.
Why are senior citizens more susceptible to foodborne illness? As we age, our immune systems weaken. This affects our ability to fight disease. Stomach acid also decreases as we get older. The risk of illness is increased since stomach acid plays a role in reducing the number of bacteria in our intestinal tracts.
Underlying illnesses such as diabetes, cancer treatments and kidney disease may increase the risk of foodborne illness.
By following the basic rules of food safety, you can help prevent foodborne illness. These rules are clean, separate, cook and chill. Follow these simple steps to handle food properly:
Clean: Bacteria can be found everywhere, so it is important to wash your hands with hot soapy water before and after handling food. Cutting boards, utensils and counter tops should be washed with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food. For extra protection, you can use a kitchen sanitizer made of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water.
Separate: Cross-contamination is how bacteria can be spread from one food product to another. It is important to take extra care when handling raw meat, poultry and seafood. You want to keep these foods and their juices away from foods that are not going to be cooked. To avoid cross-contamination, separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery cart and in your refrigerator. Use a different cutting board for raw meats, and place cooked food on a clean plate.
Cook: Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. The best way to ensure this is by using a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods. Roasts and steaks should be cooked to at least 145 degrees F, and whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F. Ground beef should be cooked to at least 160 degrees F. Avoid using recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.
If using a microwave oven, make sure there are no cold spots in the food where bacteria can survive. To do this, cover food, stir and rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking (unless you have a turntable in the microwave). Leftovers should be reheated to 165 degrees F, and soups, sauces and gravies should be brought to a boil.
Chill: At room temperature, bacteria in food can double every 20 minutes! The more bacteria there are, the greater are your chances of becoming sick. To slow the growth of bacteria, refrigerate foods quickly. Your home refrigerator should be set no higher than 40 degrees F and the freezer at 0 degrees F.
Refrigerate or freeze perishable food within two hours. Large amounts of food will cool more quickly if divided into shallow containers. It is also important to thaw foods safely. Never thaw foods at room temperature. Always thaw foods in the refrigerator, microwave or in cold water. If you use the microwave to thaw foods, be sure to cook them right away.
These simple food handling rules can help protect you and your family from foodborne illness. If you have questions or need more information about food safety, please contact the LSU AgCenter in your parish. You may also visit the Family and Consumer Sciences Web site by going to the LSU AgCenter Web site at www.lsuagcenter.com.