By Meghan McGowan
Read time: 3 mins.
According to the USDA, 48 million Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses each year. Certain groups are at much higher risk of serious reactions than others.
In hospitals and long-term care facilities, staff members must go beyond the basics of food safety to keep these high-risk patients healthy
Dynarex offers a wide selection of disposable gloves to support safe food handling practices.
The Basics of Food Safety
From local restaurants to cafeterias and food banks, any facility that prepares food for human consumption has a rulebook to follow. The recommendations for food safety are similar in many ways to those for home cooking, though typically more detailed and stringent.
These guidelines can include:
- Washing hands and cleaning surfaces and utensils often
- Washing fresh fruits and vegetables in running water
- Keeping raw meat, eggs, and seafood separate from other foods
- Verifying safe internal temperatures of cooked food with a thermometer
- Refrigerating food promptly and avoiding leaving food out at room temperature
High-Risk Diners: When the Basics Aren’t Enough
For most healthy people, a bout of foodborne illness means a day or two of acute but short-lived distress. For the following vulnerable populations, however, the consequences can be far more serious.
Patients with Weakened Immune Systems
- Autoimmune Conditions: Illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus cause the immune system to attack itself, and can make a person more susceptible to infections like foodborne illnesses.
- HIV/AIDS Patients: HIV and AIDS destroy key cells in the immune system, leaving the body unable to fight off even minor infections and illnesses.
- Cancer Patients: Chemotherapy and radiation damage the immune system while they kill cancer cells, making minor illnesses dangerous.
- Organ Transplant Recipients: The medications that prevent the body from rejecting donor organs can cause patients to become seriously ill from low-level infections.
The Elderly
Elderly patients have weaker immune systems and slower digestive tracts than younger adults, which allows bacteria more freedom to multiply. Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea is a serious risk for the elderly during foodborne illness, and can potentially lead to death.
Pregnant Women
Pregnancy alters the immune system, putting pregnant women at higher risk of being sickened by foodborne illness. Furthermore, bacteria like E. coli can be especially dangerous during pregnancy, while listeria can cross the placenta and infect an unborn baby. Foodborne illness during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, and infant sickness or death.
Children Under 5
Small children, like the elderly, are prone to dangerous dehydration from foodborne illness, largely because their smaller bodies can be more quickly overwhelmed by fluid loss. Children also produce less stomach acid, making it harder for their bodies to kill off harmful bacteria.
A Higher Standard: Food Safety in Hospital and Long-Term Care Kitchens
The FDA Food Code is the basis for local food safety laws in many states. The Food Code covers “highly susceptible populations,” including patients in hospitals and care facilities, and includes specific guidelines to supplement standard food safety protocols for these groups.
Some of these guidelines include:
- Prohibiting bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, even with clean hands, and using single-use gloves to help prevent contamination
- Covering food trays immediately after plating to prevent contamination
- Delivering meals promptly so that hot food remains at or above 140°F and cold food at or below 41°F to help prevent rapid bacterial growth.
- Certain food items may not be reheated and must be discarded to prevent bacterial growth
For vulnerable patients, these extra measures can make the difference between safely enjoying a nutritious meal and contracting a life-threatening foodborne illness.
Square Meals: Keeping Vulnerable Patients Safe
For high-risk patients, a bout of foodborne illness can be truly dangerous, but the right safety and cleanliness practices make all the difference. By going the extra mile with these safety measures, kitchen staff in hospitals and care facilities help to protect patients and keep potentially life-threatening foodborne illnesses at bay.
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