Sponsored: Don't make yourself sick! Food safety begins in the home

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Don't make yourself sick! Food safety begins in the home

You may have seen the news about an outbreak of norovirus in Boston that caused over a hundred students in Boston who had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant to become ill. www.wsj.com/articles/norovirus-confirmed-in-boston-chipotle-outbreak-1449684009 It’s important to remember that we can also make ourselves sick at home if we don’t handle food properly and observe food safety in the home. Norovirus is a very contagious virus.

Norovirus – a very contagious virus

How do you know you have it? Norovirus causes inflammation of the stomach and/or intestines that results in gastroenteritis causing vomiting and diarrhea. It can result in illness, hospitalization or even death.

What causes it?

Norovirus can be found in minute particles of feces or vomit and transmitted by sharing food, drinking from common glasses, or through contact with cooking surfaces or utensils contaminated by someone who has norovirus.

How can you avoid food borne illness caused by norovirus in your own home?

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1. If you are sick take a break from cooking. If possible let someone else do the cooking while you are ill.

2. Wash your hands before preparing food and before eating food.

3. Don’t share glasses, utensils or plates with someone who is ill and don’t eat any of the food that they have touched or partially eaten.

Source: Centers for Disease Control (CDC) - www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/overview.html

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

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800-334-4936

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