2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service1 Food Safety for Seniors: Background information ___________ County Cooperative Extension Service

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service2 In the good old days… Food produced close to home –Ate food in season

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service3 In the good old days… Shopped for or gathered perishable items daily –Eggs, milk, meat

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service4 In the good old days… Ate at home

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service5 In the good old days… Cooked longer, used higher temperatures –No microwave ovens

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service6 In the good old days… Used lots of salt to preserve meat

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service7 In the good old days… No Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, no BSE (mad cow disease)

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service8 In the good old days… Didn’t know some kinds of arthritis can be traced to foodborne illness Didn’t know how many people got food poisoning

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service9 Why worry about seniors? Fundamental component of their independence is the ability to prepare foods at home –Home prepared food is major source of foodborne illness for everyone

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service10 Why worry about seniors? We love them

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service11 Seniors are at high risk Immune systems weaken with age –Decrease in number of disease fighting cells –Surgery can also affect immune system

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service12 Seniors are at high risk Reduced stomach acid and increased use of antacids –Increases number of bacteria that enter small intestine Increased use of antibiotics

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service13 Seniors are at high risk Decreased peristalsis –Rapid growth of pathogens in gut –Possible formation of toxins

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service14 Seniors are at high risk Underlying illnesses –Diabetes –Kidney disease –Cancer treatments –Malnutrition

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service15 Seniors are at high risk Believe they are less susceptible to get foodborne illness –“Never got sick before” –“Won’t happen to me/us”

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service16 Don’t recognize symptoms Diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, sometimes blood or pus in stools, vomiting, severe exhaustion Appear ½ hour to weeks after eating Most last 1 to 10 days –Some have life long effects –Some kill

2001Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service17