Food Safety for Seniors Page 1

To Your Health!
Food Safety for Seniors

Seniors have a lifetime of experience shopping, preparing and eating food. And fortunately, Americans enjoy one of the safest most healthful food supplies in the world. But a lot has changed over your lifetime -- from the way food is produced and distributed, to the way it is prepared and eaten.

What is also changing is your ability to fight-off dangerous bacteria that may invade your body through the food you eat.

The good news is that well-known saying -- "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" -- remains true. Preventing the growth of dangerous microorganisms in food is the key to reducing the millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths each year.

You may already know a lot about how to prevent illness from mishandled food. Federal studies show that seniors do a better job of handling food safely than any other age group. Even so, when it comes to staying safe, you can never know too much.

This publication will help you learn more about what many of us call "food poisoning" -- the experts call it foodborne illness. We'll look at:

• How Times Have Changed
  
  
• Why Some People Face Special Risks
  
  
• Recognizing Foodborne Illness
  
  
• Food Safety at Home
  
  
  • A Cooking Temperature Chart
    
    
  • Refrigerator Storage Chart
    
    
• Special Foods, Special Advice
  
  
• Eating Out, Bringing In