Food Poisoning More Likely at Home
than from Food Industry

Lynn Paul
MSU Extension Nutrition Specialist

7/97 BOZEMAN -- Concern about our safety skyrockets during a shocking TV exposé documenting the mishandling of our food by someone employed in the food industry, but in my opinion we are much more likely to encounter food poisoning in our own or a friend’s home than in a commercial establishment.

Yes, statistics say that food poisoning at home accounts for 20 percent of the reported cases, second to the 80 percent of incidents related to food industry meal preparation.

However, the statistics on this subject cannot be taken at face value.

People are more likely to report food poisoning from a commercial source. One benefit to reporting the incident is to get the business to "clean up" its food handling processes.

When we or our friends prepare food, an illness afterward generally is blamed on "the flu." Most people don’t recognize food poisoning due to their own or a friend’s food preparation. If we recognize food poisoning from home preparation, we are unlikely to report it. Many people don’t know who to report it to, and even if we do, what is the benefit? After all, hopefully we’ve learned our lesson by recognizing it as food poisoning due to our mishandling.

Given this, it is amazing to me that even 20 percent of the reported food poisoning incidents are related to home preparation.

So we are back to the fact that every person in the food production and distribution systems, from the producer to the packer to us, has a significant responsibility to ensure food safety.

What makes a food unsafe, potentially causing illnesses? Basically, three things are required. First, either a bacteria, virus or other microorganism needs to be present on or in the food. Second, that organism requires temperatures in the "Danger Zone," that is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In this temperature range, bacteria multiply at dizzying rates. Third, time is required. Temperatures in the Danger Zone are only hazardous if foods are kept longer than two hours--the time needed for bacteria to reproduce.

Summer food safety presents special challenges for one reason only: warmer temperatures. Just compare our Montana summer to last year’s frigid Montana winter, and it is easy to see how we get in more trouble with a food-borne illness during warm summer months. How many times did you eat or transport food outside last winter? Maybe a few times during a ski or snowmobile excursion and quick trips from grocery to home. Untended, your food may freeze on a snowmobile in Montana, but it is unlikely to warm up! In July, many people eat outside several times a week, picnicking on the patio, picking up dinner at a softball game or using the long days for an evening hike and snack along the river.

Food brought along on summer outings needs special handling to minimize its exposure to the times and temperatures that make it unsafe. Don’t keep food in the Danger Zone for more than two hours. In addition, you should:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling food. If water is not available, use disposable towelettes.
• Defrost meat for grilling in the refrigerator or microwave. Meat in airtight packaging can be defrosted in cold tap water, if the water is changed every 30 minutes. Meat defrosted in the microwave needs to be cooked immediately; never refreeze it unless it is cooked.
• Marinate meat and poultry in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. Never use marinade left over from use on raw meat or poultry on cooked foods unless you boiled it.
• Cook ground meat to 165 degrees to kill bacteria. Do not rely on pinkness of the meat and juices as an indicator of well-cooked meat. "Pinkness" is not reliable, so use a thermometer.
• For picnics, chill all foods ahead of time.
• If traveling longer than 30 minutes with perishable foods, pack them in a cooler surrounded by ice or gel pack to keep food at 40 degrees.
• Food left in a cooler should be safe if the cooler still has ice in it.
• If in doubt about the safety of any food, it is recommended to throw it out!
• Never taste food to see if it is safe!

Make your summer safe by learning about and practicing food safety. It may prevent you, your family and friends from having some unpleasant summer memories. Make your summer safe, fun and pleasantly memorable!

If you read this, we need to know who you are! Please send your name, city/state/country and the name of the topic you read to us at carolf@montana.edu.

You are the 14205th person to access this page.