Food Safety and Cancer

Christine Zoumas, MS, RDProject Manager, Diet and Physical Activity Shared Resources

Health Sciences Instructor Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Cancer Prevention and Control ProgramUC San Diego Moores Cancer Center

Foodborne Illness in the U.S

• Each day over 200,000 people in the US fall ill with a foodborne illness; 14 die

• Each year, 76 millions people become ill from a foodborne illness and about 5,000 of them die

• Approximately 10% of all Americans experience foodborne illness each year

Food Safety for Cancer Patients

• A properly functioning immune system works to clear infection and other foreign agents from the body

• Cancer and cancer treatments may weaken your immune system

• A weaken immune system, may result in lengthier illness, undergo hospitalization, or even die, should you contract a foodborne illness

• To avoid contracting a foodborne illness, you must be especially vigilant when handling, preparing, and consuming foods

Food Safety for Cancer Patients

Certain groups of people are more susceptible to foodborne illness

•Pregnant women

•Newborns

•Older adults

•Persons with chronic illnesses (AIDS, cancer or diabetes)

•People who are taking antibiotics or prescription antacids

What Causes Foodborne Illness?

• Pathogens are tiny disease containing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, yeast, and molds.

• Pathogens can get into your food by infecting the animal the food comes from or entering your food during processing or preparation

You cannot see, smell or taste most pathogens

Potentially Hazardous Foods• Meat (beef, pork, lamb)• Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)• Seafood (fish and shellfish)• Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)• Eggs • Sprouts: (such as alfalfa or bean)• Vegetables & Fruits: unwashed and sliced• Cold ready-to-eat foods (smoked salmon, hot dogs and

cold cuts)• Pates

Potentially Hazardous Foods

• Meat (beef, pork, lamb)

• Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)

• Seafood (fish and shellfish)

• Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)

• Eggs

• Sprouts (such as alfalfa, soybean, radish or bean)

• Vegetables & Fruits (unwashed and sliced)

• Cold ready-to-eat foods (smoked salmon, hot dogs and cold cuts)

Foods To Avoid

• Unwashed Fresh Fruit and Vegetables• Raw sprouts• Raw or undercooked meat and poultry• Cold hot dogs or deli lunch • Refrigerated pâté• Raw or undercooked shellfish• Smoked fish• Sushi and sashimi• Unpasteurized beverages (fruit juices, raw milk products or

cider)• Soft, unpasteurized cheeses • Undercooked eggs,• Deli-prepared salads with egg, ham, chicken, or seafood

Making Wise Food Choices

The foods that are most likely to contain harmful pathogens fall into two categories:

•Uncooked fresh fruits and vegetables

•Some animal products (pathogen contamination depends on the origin of the source, how it is processed, stored and prepared)

Major Foodborne Pathogens

• Campylobacter• Cryptosporidum• Clostridium perfringens• Listeria• E. coli• Norovirus (Norwalk Virus)• Salmonella• Toxoplasma gondii• Vibrio vulnificus

How Pathogens Grow

• Food

• Acidity (pH)

• Time*

• Temperature*

• Oxygen or lack of oxygen

• Moisture

Temperature and Time

TemperatureMost pathogenic bacteria

will start growing in a temperature range of

40 to 140°F

The Danger Zone

Temperature and Time Time

Pathogenic bacteria start to grow in foods within two hours of being in the danger zone

15 min (+2)

60 min (+16)

75 min (+32)

30 min (+4)

45 min (+ 8)

Handling and Preparing Food Safely

| E. coli at Home

Clean: Wash Hands and Surfaces

Wash your hands • with warm water and soap and rub your hands together for at

least 20 seconds• before preparing or eating food• after preparing raw poultry, meat, fish, or seafood, handling

garbage, using the bathroom, changing diapers or handling pets

Wash Surfaces•Wash cutting boards, utensils and counter tops•Plastic / non-porous cutting boards•Paper towels vs cloth towels•Wash produce•Clean lids of cans before opening

Separate- Don’t Cross-Contaminate

Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs—and their juices—away from ready-to-eat foods

•Separate raw meat/poultry from other foods

•Store raw meats on bottom shelf

•Keep cutting boards separate

•Watch where you place cooked food

Cook (Keep Hot Food Hot)

• Check temperature to determine food is at the right temperature using the USDA-FDA recommended safe minimum internal temperatures.

• Foods kept below 140°F for more than 2 hours should be thrown away

Safe Cooking Temperatures

Reheating Leftovers

• Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F for at least 15 seconds

• When reheating leftovers in the microwave, stir, cover, and rotate the foods so that it heats evenly

• Sauces, soups, and gravies should be reheated by bringing them to a boil

• Eat reheated leftovers within 1 hour of reheating

• Don’t eat leftovers more than 2 days old

• Don’t eat any food that has already been reheated once

Chill

• The Chill Factor. Refrigerate perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours of purchase or use.

• Divide and Conquer. Separate large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.

• Avoid the Pack Attack. Do not over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to keep food safe.

• Rotate Before It’s Too Late. Use or discard chilled foods as recommended in the USDA Cold Storage Chart

• Don’t Go Too Low. As you approach 32°F ice crystals can begin to form and lower the quality of some foods such as raw fruits, vegetables and eggs.

Thawing Food

Thaw foods by using one of the following methods:

•Put the food item in the refrigerator 1 day before cooking

•Use the defrost setting on a microwave

•Cook right away

Eating Out Basic Rules for Ordering

•Ask whether the food contains uncooked ingredients such as eggs, sprouts, meat, poultry, or fish

•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

Shopping• 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

• Purchase eggs in the shell from the refrigerated section of the store.

• When purchasing canned goods, make sure that they are free of dents, cracks, or bulging lids.

• Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.

Product Dating• “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to

display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.

• “Best If Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality.

• “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality.

Transporting• Pick up perishable foods last, and plan to go directly

home from the grocery store.

• Always refrigerate perishable foods within two hours of cooking or purchasing.

• Refrigerate within one 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.

Know the Symptoms

Symptom "The Flu" Food Poisoning

Body aches and pains ✔ ✔

Fatigue ✔ ✔

Fever ✔ ✔

Nausea and Diarrhea Rare ✔

Respiratory: Chest discomfort, cough

✔ Rare

Respiratory: Nasal congestion, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose

✔ Rare

Prevent or Lessen Risk Annual Vaccination

Proper Food Handling

Healthy Eating Program• The Healthy Eating Program provides resources,

monthly nutrition seminars and food demonstrations focusing on the benefits of nutrition and cancer prevention.

• Our program gives participants an opportunity to learn evidence-based nutrition information and obtain accurate state-of-the-science information from nutritional professionals.

Website: healthyeating.ucsd.edu

Email: healthyeating@ucsd.edu

Phone:(858) 822-2237