Tis the season for safe food handling

By Rosie Schwartz

Rosie Schwartz on how to prevent food poisoning this holiday season

Are you tired of hearing about hand washing? The threat of H1N1 has
certainly made many people think about their daily routines - whether
it's stepping off the subway or grabbing lunch in the office kitchen,
everywhere you look, reminders abound. And whether H1N1 is peaking or
already has peaked, there are other reasons not to abandon or lessen
your hand washing routines. Decreasing your risk of foodborne illness is
near the top of that list.

A recent report from the
Center for Foodborne Illness Research &; Prevention in Pennsylvania
pointed out that while these illnesses are often thought of in terms of
stomach problems, there's much more to be concerned about. And at this
time of year, as holiday festivities get underway, the risk of food
poisoning can soar.

Health Canada and the Public Health
Agency of Canada estimate that every year between 11 and 13 million
Canadians suffer from illnesses caused by foodborne bacteria. Health
Canada also estimates that the annual cost related to these illnesses,
and related deaths, is staggering - between 12 and 14 billion dollars.

Yet,
many people who become victims of food poisoning don't actually
recognize what made them ill. All too often, people don't report
foodborne illness as they think that they've had the stomach flu. One
reason for this is that it's not well known that some microbes
responsible for foodborne illness can take days to make you sick. When
you battle a bout of diarrhea and vomiting, if you're considering
foodborne illness, chances are that you're thinking about what you ate
at your last meal. But in fact, it could have been something you ate
even five days before.

The bacteria Campylobacter is one
such example. Symptoms can include fever, headache and muscle pain,
followed by diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, and Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
This syndrome, which affects the nervous system, is one of the leading
causes of non-trauma-induced paralysis in the world.

It's
pretty scary to think about. And the report from the Center for
Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention is even more worrisome. The
researchers studied the five most common foodborne diseases and found
that the more common consequences of diarrhea and vomiting typically
last only a few days. But in 2 to 3 percent of cases, foodborne disease
can cause serious long-term health problems - including arthritis,
kidney failure, paralysis, seizures and hearing or visual impairments.

Definitely food for thought.
So
why do I say that the risk of foodborne illness can soar through the
holidays? It's not just about hand washing. That's just one issue. The
bigger picture is all about safe food handling practices