It's that time of year when illness spreads like jam on toast. Have you been hit by a stomach virus? Or maybe it was food poisoning? It's good to know which it is, so you know whether or not you are contagious or if other people shouldn't eat the mystery meat you ate in the fridge.
Learn the differences between these ailments when you read more.
It seems like we were talking just about a Colorado cantaloupe recall, and unfortunately, you might need to steer clear of this melon once again. The North Carolina company Burch Farms has recalled tens of thousands of cantaloupes and honeydew melons due to possible food poisoning.
The FDA reported finding the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) on a honeydew melon grown and packed by Burch Farms. Although no one has confirmed getting sick, this bacteria can cause listeriosis with symptoms that include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, and other tummy issues. Although older adults, pregnant women, and babies are most at risk, it can also (although rarely) affect other people. Illness can show up anywhere from a few days to more than two months after eating contaminated food.
See which states are affected after the break!
Listeria-tainted cantaloupes have now affected at least 14 states including Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and California. So far, 55 infections and eight deaths have been confirmed, and even more are suspected. Local, state, and federal health experts are investigating the increasing outbreak connected to whole cantaloupes grown in the Rocky Ford-region of Colorado and shipped by supplier Jensen Farms of Holly, CO. The FDA issued a cantaloupe recall on Sept. 14, after tests revealed victims were infected with four strains of listeria. Jenson Farms is fully cooperating with health officials to determine the cause of the outbreak.
The whole cantaloupes may be marked by one of two stickers: A green and white sticker that reads: Product of USA — Frontera Produce — Colorado Fresh — Rocky Ford Cantaloupe. Or, a gray, yellow, and green sticker that reads: Jensen Farms — Sweet Rocky Fords. If you've purchased cantaloupe from this company, throw it out ASAP. Even if you've eaten the melon and haven't gotten sick, ditch the fruit anyway as infections can arise up to two months after eating a food contaminated with listeria. Also, the FDA warns people not to attempt to wash away the bacteria as both the inside and outside of the melons might be contaminated.
I'm sure you have tons of questions about listeriosis, so keep reading to learn more about this infection, and find out what you can do to prevent getting sick.
Source: Flickr User InterContinental Hong Kong
Following countless recalls, food safety has never been a bigger concern in America. Despite steps taken by the Obama administration and the FDA to address consumer concerns, a new memo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in six Americans fall prey to foodborne illnesses a year. Have you been one of them?
Sneezes, cyclists, and dangerous dips — there's a lot happening in the health and fitness world these days. Have you been keeping on top of the latest headlines? Take my quiz to test your knowledge! If you don't know, we'll explain all of the latest happenings to you in the end!
Last week, a friend and I went to a restaurant and ordered pizza topped with stracciatella, a soft, fresh cheese. It was delicious, and we popped the leftovers in the fridge to save for later. The next day, she took the leftover pizza out of the fridge and ate it for dinner — and promptly got a severe case of food poisoning. Turns out, one of us hadn't closed the refrigerator the whole way, and the cheese had been exposed to the summer heat overnight, causing it to go bad.
According to the USDA, perishable food that has been left out at room temperature for two hours should be tossed immediately. And since you can't smell bacteria — which thrives on food left at room temperature — the "smell test" doesn't work, either. Sadly, an open fridge in 70-degree heat will not keep food at the recommended 40 degrees, so as soon as we realized what happened, it was time for a massive fridge clean-out.
We started by tossing all of the dairy (including butter), then salad dressing, mayonnaise, deli meats (bye, delicious, expensive bacon), and all of the other leftovers in the fridge. Because we were unsure how long the fridge had been open (and because seeing how sick my friend was made me not want to take any chances!), we weren't discriminating in tossing the food — even if it didn't look or smell bad.
Recently, I came down with a really bad case of food poisoning while traveling. Although I made it through the worst of it before my flight home, I still felt completely exhausted, weak, and dehydrated the days following. I was taught that it was water or bust when it came to food poisoning, but my doctor was quick to tell me that coconut water contained almost everything I needed for a speedy recovery.
The fitness community has been touting the benefits of coconut water for a while now, even referring to it as "nature's sports drink." Most notably, it naturally contains five electrolytes, and in cases of severe dehydration — like food poisoning — electrolytes are exactly what you need replaced for healthy bodily function.
To see how coconut water compares with sports drinks, just read more
I hate when I have stomach issues, and having food poisoning has got to be the worst. It stinks that something you ate, whether it was out to dinner, at a friend's house, or in your own kitchen, could make you have to run to the bathroom every five minutes (or never leave for hours). Sometimes knowing others have felt your pain can make you feel better, so tell me . . .
