Let's Keep Food Poisoning Off the Guest List

Holidays are about spending time with family … and of course eating! However, even an experienced chef can find cooking a holiday feast for a large group of loved ones stressful and even overwhelming. Our advice - start early so you can make sure your guests have a safe holiday meal.

With the start of the holiday season just a couple of weeks away, it is never too early to begin planning and preparing for your family’s Thanksgiving feast.

Waiting until the last minute often causes stress and leads to taking short cuts when it comes to food safety practices. Starting early will ease anxiety and help lower the risks of your guests becoming sick at the hands of the chef. Food poisoning can spoil the holidays just as easily as a burnt meal.

Quick facts about food poisoning:

• It is generally a mild illness that most commonly results from poor food handling practices.
• It usually occurs hours after eating contaminated food and can include nausea, fever, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
• Once symptoms develop they may last from several hours to two or three days.
• It can be a serious issue for those in poor health, infants and children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

“Forgetting about food safety is a recipe for disaster,” said Steven Marcus, MD, medical executive director of the NJ Poison Center. “First, do not prepare food if you are feeling sick or have any type of respiratory illness or infection. This puts your guests at risk of becoming ill.”

Preventing food poisoning is actually quite simple if you remember a few simple steps. Following these steps will protect your family and friends from leaving your table with more than just full bellies. A good rule of thumb – “When in doubt, throw it out. Don’t taste any food that looks or smells questionable.” Dr. Marcus said.

Food Safety Steps:

• Clean: Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops after each use. Use soap and warm water.
• Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate. Separate raw meats, poultry, seafood and eggs from other foods.
• Cook: Cook to the right temperature. Always use a food thermometer. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Set out food only when it is time to eat, food left out in excess of two hours can become dangerous to eat.
• Chill: Refrigerate/freeze food promptly. Follow the two (2) hour rule – leftovers should be stored in fridge or freezer within two hours of being cooked.

Be sure to keep these tips in mind as you cook and entertain family and friends this holiday season.

“If you should run into a potential problem at any point during the cooking process, we are here to help.”

Do not take chances by waiting until symptoms occur. While family members and internet searches may have some answers, these are not the best ways to get immediate help.

If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the NJ Poison Experts at (1-800-222- 1222).

”Our poison experts are also able to answer questions about food preparation/handling, foodborne illness, or any poison exposure,” said Dr. Marcus.

Calling the NJ Poison Center is always the fastest way to get the professional help or information you need in potential poisoning cases. Time is of the essence in many situations so having a poison expert give you exact instructions for your specific situation can help significantly during those critical first few minutes. We urge everyone to program their cell phone with the Poison Help number (800-222-1222) and post it somewhere in their house, like on the refrigerator or near the home phone. One day it might save you back.

Help is available to NJ residents anytime day or night, even on weekends and holidays. Remember, services are fast, free, confidential, and multilingual. Call 800-222-1222, chat www.njpies.org, or text 8002221222@njpies.org; the hearing impaired may also use their TTY and call 973-926-8008.

By: The New Jersey Poison Information & Education System