How to protect yourself from food-borne illnesses

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Everyone cooks some sort of feast and it’s important to stay vigilant about foodborne illnesses.

“Singing the ABC or Happy Birthday song twice and washing your hands under lukewarm water with antibacterial soap for about 20 seconds is a surefire way to prevent foodborne illness from occurring,” said Sarah Smith .

Sarah Smith is a registered dietitian at UM Health Sparrow. She says food-borne illnesses can occur when food is not handled or cooked properly.

“When preparing cured ham, you want to make sure it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Or if it’s a precooked ham and you’re just reheating it, you can reheat it up to 145 degrees,” Smith said. You want your turkey and the thickest part of it to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.”

According to Smith, it only takes two hours for bacteria to form in hot and cold foods. Given recent outbreaks of E. coli in agricultural products, a Wayne State University infectious disease doctor says E. coli isn’t just found in undercooked meat.

“Because of factory farming practices and industrial runoff from farms, most of the foodborne outbreaks we’ve seen recently have actually been more related to production, including spinach, including this one with carrots,” Lea said Monday.

Symptoms of E. coli include abdominal pain, cramps, and bloody diarrhea. Similar to E. coli, food-borne illnesses also include nausea, vomiting and fever.

Experts say taking precautions will ensure your fun isn’t interrupted by illness. Health experts add that if you have food poisoning, you should stay hydrated and seek medical attention if symptoms persist for more than 24 hours.

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