Cooking and Safe Food Handling Practices for Seniors

As a senior, it is even more important for you to watch what you eat and how you prepare your food. As people age, their immune systems get weaker and provide less protection. This places seniors at a higher risk for foodborne illness or food poisoning.

As we age, the lining in our stomachs naturally become inflamed and the amount of acid reduces. This change makes it easier for bacteria to enter the small intestine. At the same time, the digestive process slows down, creating an ideal environment for pathogens to grow. If you have undergone major surgery or are malnourished, your immune system will function even less efficiently, which gives bacteria the green light to harm you.

Symptoms of Foodborne Illness
You might expect to experience symptoms of food-borne illness within a few hours of eating contaminated food. But, you can also experience symptoms days, even weeks, after ingestion. You may feel sick as little as a day or two or as long as 10 days. If your health is already compromised, foodborne illness is much more dangerous for you than for the general population.

Seek treatment if you experience all or some of the following common reactions:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramping
• Fever
• Blood or pus in the stools
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Severe exhaustion

Preserve any tainted food, marking and refrigerating it. Save packaging and any identical unopened products. Contact the local food department if you consumed food from a restaurant or food service or at a large gathering.

Adopt Safe Food Practices
Handling food safely when you cook at home or bring home food from elsewhere means battling with bacteria head on.

Home cooking

• Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees F and freezer at zero degrees F
• Perishable foods should be refrigerated or placed in the freezer within two hours; if room temperature is 90 degrees F or above, store within one hour
• Thaw food in the refrigerator, within cold water, or in the microwave but never at room temperature
• Wash hands with warm, soapy water before preparation and after touching raw meat or poultry
• Cut raw meat and poultry on nonporous boards, washing with hot water and soap or in the dishwasher; to prevent cross-contamination, use only for other food preparation after cleaning
• Cook meats thoroughly, verifying minimum temperature with a clean meat thermometer:
  • Hamburger to 160 degrees F
  • Roast beef and steaks to 145 degrees F
  • Chicken, whole and pieces, to 180 degrees F
  • Pork to 160 degrees F
• Cook eggs until yolk and egg are firm, avoiding any recipes that use partially cooked or raw eggs
• Cook fish until opaque and flakes easily with a fork

Delivered or purchased hot foods

• Eat within two hours
• If waiting longer than two hours, keep warm in oven above 140 degrees F
• If planning to wait much longer than two hours, instead store in refrigerator and reheat thoroughly to 165 degrees F or until steaming

Armed with knowledge, you don't need to be afraid of your kitchen. Fight bacteria with these simple practices so you can enjoy your next meal in peace. Dinner's on—dig in!