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This article is republished from our Spring 2002 issue of Blueprint.
Food-borne Illness:
What Every Parent—and Expectant Parent—Should Know
by Beth Lewis
A five-year-old from Springfield, Vermont contracted E. coli strain type O157:H7 after eating a hamburger at a spring barbecue. Her illness began with a sore throat, vomiting and a high fever. Next came diarrhea and sharp stomach pains. When blood began to appear with the diarrhea and the little girl began to scream in pain, her horrified parents took her to the hospital. After several days, the E. coli progressed to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that caused renal failure. The parents watched as their daughter received four blood transfusions. The doctors told them to be prepared for the possibility that their daughter could have a stroke, convulsions or a heart attack, or that she could die. It took another 10 days of watching her suffer and her body struggle to fight the infection before they knew her life would be spared. They still live with the knowledge that HUS survivors contend with several possible long-term effects, including heart problems and renal failure.
“Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the United States,” says Karen Taylor Mitchell, executive director of Safe Tables Our Priority (STOP), a national advocacy and education organization based in Burlington. “Although no one is safe from these illnesses, those with weakened immune systems, particularly children and the elderly, are most vulnerable to death or permanent disability.”Taylor Mitchell points to seven steps parents and expectant parents can take to help their children avoid food-borne illnesses.
- Do not serve [unpasteurized] soft cheeses to children younger than five years of age. Pregnant women should also avoid these cheeses.“Soft cheeses, such as feta, brie, blue cheese and certain Mexican-style cheeses, can harbor listeria,” says Taylor Mitchell. “In babies, it can cause a brain infection that may lead to brain damage. In pregnant women, it can cause serious premature birth or still-birth very late in a pregnancy.”
- Cook poultry and ground meats thoroughly. “When an animal is brought to market, the meat may come into contact with germs from animal feces,”Taylor Mitchell explains. “On many meats, these germs remain on the outside, where they can be killed quickly through cooking. In whole poultry, hamburger or chopped, mixed meats (like hot dogs, bologna orsalami), however, the germs can get inside of the meat, further from the heat source used during cooking. You must cook food thoroughly to kill E. coli strain type O157:H7, salmonella or listeria bacteria,” she says.
- “To be sure you have cooked meat enough, you should use a meat thermometer.You can’t rely on color to determine if meat is cooked. Hamburger should be heated to 160 degrees to kill all bacteria,” she notes. She also reminds parents not to be shy about sending back undercooked food served to their children in restaurants.
- “To guard against listeria, pregnant women should cook hot dogs andcold cuts until they are thoroughly steaming, even though they are already cooked,” Taylor Mitchell comments.
- Do not feed uncooked fish and shellfish to young children. “Shellfish, like shrimp, crab, clams and oysters, can contain life-threatening bacteria and viruses,” Taylor Mitchell says. “Raw fish found in sushi can contain parasites. Children should not eat, sample or taste raw orlightly cooked seafood products--particularly oysters.”
- Serve only pasteurized juices and milk. “Raw milk can contain salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria,” Taylor Mitchell relates. “Unpasteurized juice, ciders and smoothies, may contain fruit that has come into contact with dirt or contaminated water. Pasteurization can kill germs in liquids. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that children should drink only pasteurized juices and milks."
- Don’t serve honey to children younger than one year of age. “Honey can carry spores that cause infant botulism, a potentially life-threatening disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than one year old should not consume honey unless the product has been certified to be free of C. botulinum (botulism) spores,” Taylor Mitchell advises.
- Cook eggs until they are dry. “The eggs you buy can contain salmonella or other bacteria inside their shells. To kill these bacteria, you must cook eggs thoroughly—hard boiling them or scrambling them until dry,” Taylor Mitchell says. “Foods such as soufflés, soft-boiled or sunny-side-up eggs, fresh Caesar salad dressing, certain homemade frostings, raw cookie and cake batter or French toast may not be cooked enough to kill bacteria, although consumers who want to eat some of these foods can prepare them by purchasing pasteurized egg products,” she notes.
- Inspect and rinse fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly. ”When choosing fresh fruit and vegetables, always look for undamaged produce, with no caked-on mud. Make sure items don’t show signs of being dropped or of contact with birds or worms,” Taylor Mitchell says. “Rinse fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly under running, potable water. Also, don’t feed sprouts to young children, because they are frequently linked with outbreaks of salmonella and E. coli strain type O157:H7,” she adds.
In addition to taking care with children’s food, Taylor Mitchell warns parents to wash surfaces, counters, utensils and hands often.
“Many foodborne diseases that occur at home are traced to cross-contamination,” she says. “Keep meat, poultry, and fish well-wrapped and separated from other foods, clean utensils and counters thoroughly between each use, and never put utensils used for raw food back into cooked food without washing them. "
Taylor Mitchell notes that S.T.O.P.'s goal is not to alarm parents unnecessarily about food.
"As an organization founded by victims of serious foodborne disease, we are passionate about ensuring that parents and expectant parents understand that a few preventive actions can minimize their families' likelihood of suffering from all-too-common diseases like salmonella and E. coli O157:H7, which can truly be devastating to children’s health." Meanwhile, Taylor Mitchell says, S.T.O.P. works closely with industry and government to keep agents of disease out of our food in the first place.
"In the future we'd like to see a world where children can once again lick the cake mix off the spatula without fear of salmonella, and we think that's entirely achievable. Until we reach that point, however, just knowing and using a few simple precautions is the best way to protect your family's health."
For more information about food-borne illnesses, call the STOP hotline at 1-800-350-STOP or visit their web site at www.safeeating.org
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