Food Safety Tips

If you’ve ever been a victim of food poisoning, you know the importance of food safety. Every step of the process, from preparing a meal to saving leftovers, could be a potential breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.

• Food Preparation
• After the Meal
• Picnic Food Safety
• Before the Picnic
• During the Picnic
• Food Poisoning Symptoms
• What to Do If You Get Food Poisoning

Food Preparation

The first place to take action is in food preparation. Sometimes the growth of bad bacteria may begin before any food has even been cut or cooked.

Follow these tips in food preparation:

• Avoid cracked jars or swollen cans
• Cook until meat has no pink, chicken has no red joints, and fish flakes
• Don’t taste test uncooked food
• Heat or chill raw food
• Thaw meat in the fridge
• Use separate kitchen utensils for raw meat or fish
• Wash hands after touching raw meat or fish
• Wash hands before all food preparation

After the Meal

Following food safety practices after a meal may be just as important as prevention during food preparation. By making sure that your leftovers are properly preserved, you can minimize your risk for food poisoning.

Follow these tips after a meal:

• Clean can openers and countertops
• Don’t leave food out for over two hours
• Frequently replace sponges and towels
• Refrigerate leftovers ASAP

Picnic Food Safety

There are three main reasons why the risk of food poisoning increases when a meal is taken outdoors: increased handling, warm temperatures, and sitting out for long periods of time – all of which promote bacteria growth. Here are some tips to reduce the danger of food poisoning at your outdoor celebrations:

Before the Picnic:

• You need to bring the following tools to keep food safe:
• A large supply of utensils so you never have to cross-contaminate tools that have touched raw meat with tools that have touched cooked meat
• A roll of aluminum foil to keep cooked foods warm and covered
• Ice or ice packs to keep fruit, potato salad, etc. cold
• A separate cooler for drinks because that cooler is normally opened often and you want to decrease the amount of warm air that gets to your other food
• A separate cooler for meat
• Marinate meats in the refrigerator the night before the picnic. Bacteria can grow and multiply when meat marinates in open air.
• Don't transport coolers in the trunk of your car. Put them in the air-conditioned passenger section so that ice stays cooler longer.

During the Picnic:

• Foods meant to be cold need to be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
• Foods meant to be kept warm should be cooked to 140 degrees or hotter.
• For precooked sausages and hot dogs, cook until the meat is steaming hot.
• If smoking meat, the smoker should be maintained at 250 to 300 degrees.
• For pit roasting, meat is cooked for 10 to 12 hours.
• Once a melon is cut, it has to be kept at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Cut melons can be served without refrigeration for a maximum of four hours.
• Fruits and vegetables are safe at air temperature until you cut them.
• Bacteria prefer the eggs and potatoes in potato salad, not the mayonnaise (the mayo is acidic enough to stop the growth of bacteria). Keep the potato salad cool and covered.
• You have about one hour in 90-degree plus weather to consume everything or get it back in the coolers.

Food Poisoning Symptoms

Not all food poisoning leads to serious symptoms. A mild case may result in nausea or diarrhea, and you may fully recover within a couple of days. To ensure a steady recovery, drink lots of clear, non-carbonated fluids, don’t use antacids, and don’t make yourself vomit. As you feel your body begin to grow stronger, reintroduce bland foods into your diet, as spicy or greasy foods may slow the recovery process.

Severe food poisoning may be fatal if you don’t recognize the signs and take action. If you, or someone you care about, show symptoms of severe food poisoning, contact your healthcare professional immediately.

Symptoms of severe food poisoning:

• Abdominal Pain
• Changes in Vision
• Dehydration
• Difficulty Breathing
• Difficulty Speaking
• Difficulty Swallowing
• Fever over 100°F
• Muscle Weakness
• Severe Diarrhea
• Severe Vomiting

What to Do If You Get Food Poisoning

Seek immediate medical help. Contact a health care provider immediately if you or someone you care about exhibits symptoms of food poisoning.

Seek legal help quickly. The longer you wait to get advice from an experienced attorney, the harder it will be to prove your food poisoning case.

We Have the Experience to Help You

Our law firm has represented the victims of national and local outbreaks of tainted food. We've helped people with Salmonella, hepatitis, and other foodborne illnesses to get the compensation they deserve.