Food safety is important for people with HIV or AIDS

Dec 1 was World’s AIDS day and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to remind those living with HIV or AIDS about their resource guide on protecting oneself from foodborne illness and safely handling food.

Anyone preparing food should also follow these steps to reduce their risk for foodborne illness:

1. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often. Bacteria can be spread throughout the kitchen and get onto hands, cutting boards, utensils, counter tops, and food.
2. Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.
3. Cook to the right temperatures. Use a food thermometer to ensure meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products are cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria.
4. Chill foods promptly. Cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees F or below and the freezer temperature is 0 degrees F or below.

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Symptoms of foodborne illness include: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and flu-like symptoms (such as fever, headache, and body ache). These symptoms can be worse for someone with a weakened immune system and lead to long term health effects or even death.

Category: Education, Features