Food
Food Safety for Older Adults
Food Safety for Older Adults (PDF - 2.43MB)
A need-to-know guide for those 65 years of age and older
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
September 2006; Slightly revised September 2011
Food safety is important for everyone – but it’s especially important for you. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration have prepared this booklet. It is designed to provide practical guidance on how to reduce your risk of foodborne illness. In addition to this guide, we encourage you to check with your physician or healthcare provider to indentify foods and other products that you should avoid. You have a special need for this important information . . . so read on!
What’s Inside
Food Safety: It’s Especially Important for You
Major Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness
Eating at Home: Making Wise Food Choices
Common Foods: Select the Lower Risk Options
Taking Care: Handling and Preparing Food Safely
In the Know: Becoming a Better Shopper
Foodborne Illness: Know the Symptoms
For More Information on Food Safety
Additional Food Safety Resources
Foodborne Illness in the United States
When certain disease-causing bacteria, viruses or parasites contaminate food, they can cause foodborne illness. Another word for such a bacteria, virus, or parasite is “pathogen.” Foodborne illness, often called food poisoning, is an illness that comes from a food you eat.
- The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world – but it can still be a source of infection for all persons.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 million persons get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne infection and illness in the United States each year. Many of these people are children, older adults, or have weakened immune systems and may not be able to fight infection normally.
Since foodborne illness can be serious – or even fatal – it is important for you to know and practice safe food-handling behaviors to help reduce your risk of getting sick from contaminated food.
Food Safety: It’s Especially Important for You
As we age, it is normal for our bodies not to work as well as they did when we were younger. Changes in our organs and body systems are expected as we grow older. These changes often make us more susceptible to contracting a foodborne illness or food poisoning. For example, our stomach and intestinal tract may hold on to foods for a longer period of time; our liver and kidneys may not readily rid our bodies of toxins; and our sense of taste and/or smell may be altered.
- By the age of 65, many of us have been diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, or cardiovascular disease, and are taking at least one medication. The side effects of some medications and/or the chronic disease process may weaken your immune system, causing you to be more susceptible to contracting a foodborne illness.
- After the age of 75 years and older, many adults often have a weakened immune system and are at an increased risk for contracting a foodborne illness.
- Essentially, as we age, our immune system and other organs in our bodies have become a bit sluggish in recognizing and ridding the body of harmful bacteria and other pathogens that cause infections, such as foodborne illness. Should you contract a foodborne illness, you are more likely to have a lengthier illness, undergo hospitalization, or even die.
- To avoid contracting a foodborne illness, you must be especially vigilant when handling, preparing, and consuming foods.
Make safe handling a lifelong commitment to minimize your risk of foodborne illness. Be aware that as you age, your immunity to infection naturally is weakened.
Major Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness
Campylobacter | |
Associated Foods
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Cryptosporidium | |
Associated Foods/Sources
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Clostridium perfringens | |
Associated Foods/ Sources
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Listeria monocytogenes | |
Associated Foods
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Escherichia coli O157:H7 | |
Associated Foods
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Norovisuses (and other caliciviruses) | |
Associated Foods
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Salmonella (over 2,300 types) | |
Associated Foods
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Toxoplasma gondii | |
Associated Foods/Sources
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Vibrio vulnificus | |
Associated Foods
| Symptoms and Potential Impact
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Eating at Home: Making Wise Food Choices
Some foods are more risky for you than others. In general, the foods that are most likely to contain harmful bacteria or viruses fall in two categories:
- Uncooked fresh fruits and vegetables
- Some animal products, such as unpasteurized (raw) milk; soft cheeses made with raw milk; and raw or undercooked eggs, raw meat, raw poultry, raw fish, raw shellfish and their juices; luncheon meats and deli-type salads (without added preservatives) prepared on site in a deli-type establishment.
Interestingly, the risk these foods may actually pose depends on the origin or source of the food and how the food is processed, stored, and prepared. Follow these guidelines (see chart below) for safe selection and preparation of your favorite foods.
If You Have Questions ….… about Wise Food Choices:
Be sure to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider. He or she can answer any specific questions or help you in your choices.
…about Particular Foods:
If you are not sure about the safety of a food in your refrigerator, don’t take the risk.
When in doubt, throw it out!
Wise choices in your food selections are important.
All consumers need to follow the Four Basic Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.
Common Foods: Select the Lower Risk Options
Type of Food | Higher Risk | Lower Risk |
Meat and Poultry |
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Tip: Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature on the “Is It Done Yet?” chart for specific safe minimum internal temperature. | ||
Seafood |
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Milk |
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Eggs | Foods that contain raw/undercooked eggs, such as:
| At home:
When eating out:
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*Tip: Most pre-made foods from grocery stores, such as Caesar dressing, pre-made cookie dough, or packaged eggnog are made with pasteurized eggs. | ||
Sprouts |
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Vegetables |
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Cheese |
-Brie |
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Hot Dogs and Deli Meats |
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Tip: You need to reheat hot dogs, deli meats and luncheon meats before eating them because the bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigerated temperatures (40 ºF or below). This bacteria may cause severe illness, hospitalization, or even death. Reheating these foods destroys these dangerous bacteria and makes these foods safe for you to eat. | ||
Pâtés |
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Taking Care: Handling and Preparing Food Safely
Foodborne pathogens are sneaky. Food that appears completely fine can contain pathogens --disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites -- that can make you sick. You should never taste a food to determine if it is safe to eat.
As an older adult, it is especially important that you – or those preparing your food – are always careful with food handling and preparation. The easiest way to do this is to Check Your Steps -- clean, separate, cook, and chill – from the Food Safe Families Campaign.
Four Basic Steps to Food Safety
1. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, counter tops, and food. To ensure that your hands and surfaces are clean, be sure to:
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2. Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria are spread from one food product to another. This is especially common when handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. The key is to keep these foods – and their juices – away from ready-to-eat foods. To prevent cross-contamination, remember to:
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3. Cook: Cook to safe temperatures Foods are safely cooked when they are heated to the USDA-FDA recommended safe minimum internal temperatures, as shown on the “Is it Done Yet” chart. To ensure that your foods are cooked safely, always:
Is It Done Yet?
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4. Chill: Refrigerate promptly Cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Keep-ing a constant refrigerator temperature of 40 °F or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk of foodborne illness. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the refrigera-tor temperature is consistently 40 °F or below and the freezertemperature is 0 °F or below. To chill foods properly:
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USDA-FDA Cold Storage Chart
These time limit guidelines will help keep refrigerated food safe to eat. Because freezing keeps food safe indefinitely, recommended storage times for frozen foods are for quality only.
Product | Refrigerator (40 ºF) | Freezer (0 ºF) |
Eggs | ||
Fresh, in shell | 3 to 5 weeks | Don’t freeze |
Hard cooked | 1 week | Don’t freeze well |
Liquid Pasteurized Eggs, Egg Substitutes | ||
Opened | 3 days | Don’t freeze well |
Unopened | 10 days | 1 year |
Deli and Vacuum-Packed Products | ||
Egg, chicken, ham, tuna, |
3 to 5 days |
Don’t freeze well |
Hot Dogs | ||
Opened package | 1 week | 1 to 2 months |
Unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
Luncheon Meat | ||
Opened package | 3 to 5 days | 1 to 2 months |
Unopened package | 2 weeks | 1 to 2 months |
Bacon & Sausage | ||
Bacon | 7 days | 1 month |
Sausage, raw – from |
1 to 2 days |
1 to 2 months |
Hamburger and Other Ground Meats | ||
Hamburger, ground beef, |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 4 months |
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork | ||
Steaks | 3 to 5 days | 6 to 12 months |
Chops | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 6 months |
Roast | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 12 months |
Fresh Poultry | ||
Chicken or turkey, whole | 1 to 2 days | 1 year |
Chicken or turkey, pieces | 1 to 2 days | 9 months |
Seafood | ||
Lean fish (flounder, haddock, |
1 to 2 days |
6 to 8 months |
Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, etc.) | 1 to 2 days | 2 to 3 months |
Leftovers | ||
Cooked meat or poultry | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
Chicken nuggets, patties | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 3 months |
Pizza | 3 to 4 days | 1 to 2 months |
In the Know: Becoming a Better Shopper
Follow these safe food-handling practices while you shop.
- Carefully read food labels while in the store to make sure food is not past its “sell by” date.
- Put raw packaged meat, poultry, or seafood into a plastic bag before placing it in the shopping cart so that its juices will not drip on – and contaminate – other foods. If the meat counter does not offer plastic bags, pick some up from the produce section before you select your meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Buy only pasteurized milk, cheese, and other dairy products from the refrigerated section. When buying fruit juice from the refrigerated section of the store, be sure that the juice label says it is pasteurized.
- Purchase eggs in the shell from the refrigerated section of the store. (Note: store the eggs in their original carton in the main part of your refrigerator once you are home.) For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served – homemade Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream are two examples – use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella by pasteurization or pasteurized egg products. When consuming raw eggs, using pasteurized eggs is the safer choice.
- Never buy food that is displayed in unsafe or unclean conditions.
- When purchasing canned goods, make sure that they are free of dents, cracks, or bulging lids. (Once you are home, remember to clean each lid before opening the can.)
- Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
- Check Your Steps:
- Check “Sell-By” date.
- Put raw meat, poultry, or seafood in plastic bags
- Buy only pasteurized milk, soft cheeses made with pasteurized milk, and pasteurized or juices that have been otherwise treated to control harmful bacteria.
- When buying eggs, purchase refrigerated shell eggs. If your recipe calls for raw eggs, purchase pasteurized, refrigerated liquid eggs.
- Don’t buy food displayed in unsafe or unclean conditions
Types of Open Dates:
Open dating is found primarily on perishable foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
- A“Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
- A “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
“Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer. “Closed” or “coded” dating might appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food.
Follow these tips for safe transporting of your groceries:
- Pick up perishable foods last, and plan to go directly home from the grocery store.
- Always refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing.
- Refrigerate within 1 hour if the temperature outside is above 90 °F.
- In hot weather, take a cooler with ice or another cold source to transport foods safely.
Being Smart When Eating Out
Eating out can be lots of fun – so make it an enjoyable experience by following some simple guidelines to avoid foodborne illness. Remember to observe your food when it is served, and don’t ever hesitate to ask questions before you order. Waiters and waitresses can be quite helpful if you ask how a food is prepared. Also, let them know you don’t want any food item containing raw meat, poultry, seafood, sprouts, or eggs.
Basic Rules for Ordering
- Ask whether the food contains uncooked ingredients such as eggs, sprouts, meat, poultry, or seafood. If so, choose something else.
- Ask how these foods have been cooked. If the server does not know the answer, ask to speak to the chef to be sure your food has been cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature.
- If you plan to get a “doggy bag” or save leftovers to eat at a later time, refrigerate perishable foods as soon as possible – and always within 2 hours after purchase or delivery. If the leftover is in air temperatures above 90 °F, refrigerate within 1 hour.
If in doubt, make another selection!
Smart Menu Choices
Higher Risk: | Lower Risk: |
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Tips for Transporting Food
- Keep cold food cold, at 40 °F or below. To be safest, place cold food in cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Use plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be at 40 °F or below the entire time you are transporting it.
- Hot food should be kept at 140 °F or above. Wrap the food well and place in an insulated container.
Stay “Food Safe” When Traveling Internationally
Discuss your travel plans with your physician before traveling to other countries. Your physician may have specific recommendations for the places you are visiting, and may suggest extra precautions or medications to take on your travels.
For more information about safe food and water while traveling abroad, access the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Foodborne Illness: Know the Symptoms
Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself in a situation where you suspect you have a foodborne illness. Foodborne illness often presents itself with flu-like symptoms.
These symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
If you suspect that you could have a foodborne illness, there are four key steps that you should take. Follow the guidelines in the Foodborne Illness Action Plan (below), which begins with contacting your physician or healthcare provider right away.
When in doubt – contact your physician or healthcare provider!
Foodborne Illness Action Plan
If you suspect you have a foodborne illness, follow these general guidelines:
1. Consult your physician or health care provider, or seek medical treatment as appropriate.
As an older adult, you are at increased risk for severe infection.
- Contact your physician immediately if you develop symptoms or think you may be at risk.
- If you develop signs of infection as discussed with your physician, seek out medical advice and/or treatment immediately.
2. Preserve the food.
- If a portion of the suspect food is available, wrap it securely, label it to say “DANGER,” and freeze it.
- The remaining food may be used in diagnosing your illness and in preventing others from becoming ill.
3. Save all the packaging materials, such as cans or cartons.
- Write down the food type, the date and time consumed, and when the onset of symptoms occurred. Write down as many foods and beverages you can recall consuming in the past week (or longer), since the onset time for various foodborne illnesses differ.
- Save any identical unopened products.
- If the suspect food is a USDA-inspected meat, poultry, or egg product, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (188-674-6854). For all other foods, call the FDA office of Emergency Operations at 1-866-300-4374 or 301-796-8240.
4. Call your local health department …
… if you believe you became ill from food you ate in a restaurant or other food establishment.
- The health department staff will be able to assist you in determining whether any further investigation is warranted.
- To locate your local health department, visit Health Guide USA.
More Information on Food Safety
You may contact the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and HHS Food and Drug Administration to obtain additional food safety information in both English and Spanish.
Information can be accessed on the FSIS website or the FDA website.
“Ask Karen” - The FSIS Virtual Representative
An automated response system is available 24/7 at Askkaren.gov and PregunteleaKaren.gov.Send e-mail inquiries to mphotline.fsis@usda.gov or to consumer@FDA.gov.
Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or call the FDA Food Information Line 1-888-SAFE-FOOD (1-888-723-3366). These year-round, toll-free Hotlines are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. An extensive selection of timely food safety messages is also available at these same numbers, 24 hours a day.
Additional Food Safety Resources
FoodSafety.gov
Gateway to Government Food Safety Information, including all recalls and alertsCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
1-888-232-3228 (24-hour recorded information)Partnership for Food Safety Education (Fight BAC ®)
To order this/or other At-risk booklets:
Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHOTLINE (1-888-674-6854)
OR
Email mphotline.fsis@usda.gov or fsis.outreach@usda.gov
Thank you to Lydia Medeiros, Ph.D., R.D., Patricia A. Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., and Val Hillers, Ph.D., R.D., for their assistance and groundbreaking research and outreach to the at-risk community.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Food and Drug Administration
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