Avoiding food poisoning

[Maeyken]

When we have parties, especially in the summer, we take a kiddie pool, put it on top of the table, fill it halfway with ice, add a little water, and cover the ice water with a plastic tablecloth. Then we put all the bowls of cold salads, etc... on top of the tablecloth and sort of nest them down below the level of the ice. It looks nice, and it keeps all our cold foods cold. For hot foods, we usually use crock pots or sternos.

Wow, great idea! I never would have thought of that... but it seems so obvious now that you mention it! Thanks for sharing

 

[Raives]

• Salmonellae: Causes moderate illness with nausea, vomiting, crampy diarrhea, and headache, which may come back a few weeks later as arthritis (joint pains). In people with impaired immune systems (such as people with kidney disease or HIV/AIDS or those on chemotherapy for cancer), salmonellae can become a life-threatening illness. It is transmitted by undercooked foods such as eggs, poultry, dairy products, and seafood.
• Campylobacter: Causes mild illness with fever, watery diarrhea, headache, and muscle aches. Campylobacter is the most commonly identified food-borne bacterial infection encountered in the world. It is transmitted by raw poultry, raw milk, and water contaminated by animal feces.
• Staphylococcus aureus: Causes moderate to severe illness with rapid onset of nausea, severe vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal cramping. This contaminant produces a toxin on foods such as cream-filled cakes and pies, salads (most at risk are potato, macaroni, egg, and tuna salads, for example) and dairy products. Contaminated potato salad at a picnic is common if the food is not chilled properly.
• Bacillus cereus: Causes mild illness with rapid onset of vomiting, with or without diarrhea and abdominal cramping. It is associated with rice (mainly fried rice) and other starchy foods such as pasta or potatoes. May also be used as a potential terrorist weapon.
• Escherichia coli (E coli): Causes moderate to severe illness that begins as large amounts of watery diarrhea, and then turns into bloody diarrhea. There are many different types of this bacterium. The worst strain can cause kidney failure and death (about 3-5% of all cases). It is transmitted by eating raw or undercooked hamburger, unpasteurized milk or juices, or contaminated well water.
• Shigella (traveler’s diarrhea): Causes moderate to severe illness with fever, diarrhea containing blood or mucus or both, and the constant urge to have bowel movements. It is transmitted in water polluted with human wastes.
• Clostridium botulinum (botulism): Causes severe illness affecting the nervous system. Symptoms start as blurred vision. The person then has problems talking and overall weakness. Symptoms then progress to breathing difficulty and inability to move arms or legs. Infants and young children are particularly at risk. It is transmitted in foods such as home-packed canned goods, honey, sausages, and seafood.
• Vibrio cholerae: Causes mild to moderate illness with crampy diarrhea, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fever with chills. It strikes mostly in the warmer months of the year and is transmitted by infected, undercooked, or raw seafood.
• Taken From:
  http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/17289-3.asp