The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that, “Every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from eating contaminated food.” September is National Food Safety Education Month, a nationwide public health awareness campaign to increase education about preventing food borne illnesses (also referred to as food poisoning).
The United States Department of Health & Human Services suggests the following four steps to food safety:
- Clean – Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces often.
- Separate – Don’t cross-contaminate- use separate cutting boards & plates for produce, meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Always keep certain types of foods like raw meat and poultry from other foods.
- Cook to the right temperature – Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature is high enough to kill germs that can make you sick. Keep food hot after cooking. Microwave thoroughly.
- Chill – Refrigerate and freeze food properly.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning according to the CDC are:
- Upset stomach
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
See your healthcare provider if your symptoms are severe or if you are also experiencing bloody stools, a high fever, frequent vomiting, signs of dehydration, and diarrhea lasting more than 3 days. You may walk-in to any of our convenient Primary Medical Care Center community clinics, or you may schedule an appointment by visiting our website at www.primarymed.com, or call (305)751-1500 for our Miami-Dade clinic, or (954)289-0000 for our Broward clinic.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/symptoms.html
https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/4-steps-to-food-safety
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/education-month.html