Food Poisoning Can Threaten Seniors' Summertime Fun

Summer picnics are fun for all ages. But older adults should take special precautions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises seniors that it’s important to know that ready-to-eat hot dogs, lunch meats, and cold cuts may not be safe for them or other high-risk groups.

These and certain other foods can be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria, which causes listeriosis, a serious disease that primarily affects older adults, adults with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.

In the United States, an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill with listeriosis each year and 260 die. Older adults are among the groups at higher risk for listeriosis. Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking, but some ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs and deli meats, can be contaminated after factory processing.

Take the necessary precautions to make sure you and your friends do not get infected. For older adults and others in the high-risk groups, CDC recommends the following tips and precautions when planning events:

·         Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, or other deli meats unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165ºF or until steaming hot.

·         Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads from a deli or meat counter or from the refrigerated section of a store.

·         Do not eat soft cheese such as feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or panela (queso panela) unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk.

·         Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole, or unless it is a canned or shelf-stable product.

For more information or assistance, CAREGivers^SM from the local Home Instead Senior Care^® office can help older adults with various household tasks including food preparation – a service that can help keep seniors safe. Mealtime companionship and assistance is among the organization’s most popular and requested services.

 For more about listeriosis and food safety, visit www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/listeriosis/ or www.foodsafety.gov.