Protecting Your Plate
Following another E.coli outbreak, consumers are left to ponder a simple, yet delicate question: how safe is it to eat the food on my plate?
The most recent outbreak—linked to organic carrots—was announced in late November after at least 15 hospitalizations in multiple states. It prompted a recall of more than a dozen brands of carrots and came on the heels of a larger E.coli outbreak that took place in September and October where 104 people were infected across 14 states due to onions served at McDonald’s.
While these numbers aren’t massive within the context of the hundreds of thousands of cases of foodborne illnesses every year in the United States, consumers can still take several steps in order to protect themselves from getting sick.
In addition to general food safety steps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois Tech Professor of Food Science and Nutrition Wei Zhang also makes two recommendations consumers can take to protect themselves.
The first: make smart food choices.
“Consumers should always buy foods from trusted sources, eat fresh, and avoid foods with expired ‘best-by’ dates,” says Zhang. “If you or your family members are in high-risk groups for foodborne infections, do not eat raw or under-cooked foods.”
Zhang’s second suggestion is to stay informed of ongoing food recalls and outbreaks.
“The CDC and FDA have dedicated webpages to keep the general public informed of any ongoing recalls and outbreak investigations,” Zhang says. “Immediately throw away the implicated foods and go see a doctor if you get very sick because of eating certain foods.”
While food growers and manufacturers are required to follow the standards and rules set by federal agencies, Zhang says that it’s impossible to completely remove E.coli from the food supply. Drastic temperature changes, reduced sources of produce supplies, and improper processing at packing facilities may collectively contribute to the higher numbers of foodborne illness outbreaks as we see during the winter months.
