TUESDAY, Nov. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A happy holiday can go sour quickly when food poisoning joins the party.
Experts from Rutgers New Jersey Poison Control Center offer some tips on safely thawing, preparing and storing food, as well as avoiding issues with alcohol and drugs.
“Forgetting about food safety is a recipe for disaster,” said Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the poison control center at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s department of emergency medicine.
“Don’t prepare food if you have any kind of respiratory illness or infection, as this puts your guests at risk of becoming ill. No matter how busy your kitchen gets during the holidays, always remember the risks of improperly handling food,” she said in a Rutgers news release.
Food poisoning is no small problem. It sickens about 48 million Americans each year, causing 128,000 to be hospitalized and 3,000 to die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But here's some advice from the poison center on how to avoid it:
The effects of food poisoning can be felt within a few hours, and may include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and fever. It’s especially risky for young children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.
It's also important to understand how to drink safely and to recognize alcohol poisoning, the poison center advises. Be aware of how much alcohol you’re actually consuming, not just the number of drinks, to avoid having more than is safe.
Certain holiday foods can also be unsafe for pets. These include chocolate, candy, bread and dough, fatty meat scraps, grapes, raisins and currants, sugar-free products and cocoa. Artificial sweeteners like xylitol can cause severe illness, as can items that look like food such as button batteries, small magnets, vapes and nicotine products, medicines and recreational and prescription drugs.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on food poisoning.
SOURCE: Rutgers, news release, Nov. 17, 2022
Food poisoning can take the fun out of holidays, so here are some tips on how to avoid illness while cooking and eating the Thanksgiving feast.