Each year throughout the U.S., foodborne illnesses strike more than 800,000 children. Considering that children have less-mature immune systems, it’s easy to understand why babies and toddlers are especially susceptible.
Did you know:
* More than 200 known illnesses are transmitted through food.
* Food-related illnesses result in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths each year.
*Tainted food can’t be detected by the human nose, eye, or tongue, but only through lab testing.
* Under optimal conditions, bacteria can double in as short as 10 minutes. This means the number of disease causing bacteria can increase from one to 10 million organisms in less than eight hours.
*Bacteria can multiply rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees, the “temperature danger zone”.
*Bacteria are easily transferred from surface to surface, including skin.
Dr. Rallie McAllister, board-certified family physician and children’s nutrition expert, explains how parents can prevent food-borne illnesses:
1. Wash your hands regularly: Proper hand washing is the most important step parents can take to prevent food-borne illnesses. A recent study showed 32 percent of mothers said they don’t wash their hands after changing their baby’s diapers; 41 percent don’t after petting animals; 15 percent don’t after using the restroom; 10 percent don’t after handling raw meat; and five percent don’t wash after gardening or working with soil.
2. Handle milk and other foods with care: Milk is rich in nutrients that allow bacteria to thrive. At room temperature, the number of bacteria in milk can double within 10 to 20 minutes.
3. When in doubt, throw it out: Don’t count on your eyes, nose or tongue to determine if food is safe for your infant or toddler. Foods and beverages contaminated with millions of potentially pathogenic bacteria can look, smell and taste perfectly normal.
4. Keep high-risk foods out of the temperature danger zone: Bacteria thrive at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. High-risk foods and beverages should be kept heated to temperatures above 140 degrees or they should be kept cold with vacuum insulated products like Foogo™ by Thermos®, which can keep beverages below room temperature for 16 hours (starting at 40°F) – four-and-a-half times longer than competitor brands.
5. Make the connection, break the chain: Food-borne illnesses are serious and cause potentially life-threatening conditions. They most frequently occur when bacteria on the hands of others are transferred to the foods and beverages that are consumed. Simple hand washing can break the chain.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting Betsi Humphreys at 312-755-6206 or via email at bhumphreys@wheatleytimmons.com.
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