Summer is a popular time for cookouts with friends and family, but it’s also an opportune time for food poisoning to strike. Staying knowledgeable about food safety tips can ensure you stay happy and healthy all summer.

What is food poisoning?

Foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, is a sickness people get from something they ate or drank. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48 million people in the United States contract some form of food poisoning every year. Of those 48 million people, 128,000 are hospitalized.

Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Bloody stools
• Stomach pain and cramps
• Fever
• Headache

Most cases of food poisoning will resolve relatively quickly without treatment, but it’s important to monitor yourself for more concerning symptoms.

While food poisoning is typically not serious, you may want to see a doctor if:

• You are an older adult, pregnant, or immunocompromised, you are more at risk of developing serious symptoms. Young children are also at a higher risk for dehydration.
• Diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than three days.
• You are experiencing signs of dehydration such as excessive thirst, dry mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
• You experience nervous symptom symptoms such as blurry vision, muscle weakness, and tingling skin.

Is it actually the stomach bug?

Food poisoning can also mimic other illnesses like the stomach bug, making it difficult to tell when you will feel better and when you should worry.

Despite having similar symptoms, the stomach bug and food poisoning are from different causes. The stomach bug is a common virus that spreads by contact with an already infected person, whereas you can only get food poisoning by eating unsafe food. Food poisoning is not contagious from person to person, and the easiest way to tell if it’s food poisoning is if other people that ate the same are ill, too.

Another way to distinguish between food poisoning and the stomach bug is to consider the timeline.

• Food poisoning typically has a quick onset of symptoms and a shorter duration of sickness. Symptoms can begin as soon as two hours after eating and can run their course in just a few hours. Most cases last less than two days.
• Stomach bugs have an incubation period of about 24-48 hours before symptoms even begin, and they can last in your system for multiple days.

Recovering from food poisoning

Regardless of what is causing your symptoms, the recovery is the same for both: rest up and drink plenty of water. Your body will be expelling lots of fluid as it tries to rid itself of toxins, and you should be vigilant in replenishing that fluid to prevent dehydration.

Dehydration causes your body to lose electrolytes, which are essential in helping your body absorb fluids. Along with drinking water, beverages such as coconut water, watered-down fruit juice, sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade, and Pedialyte can help replenish electrolytes.

There’s a common misconception that you need to let food poisoning run its course and that you should not take any medications to control diarrhea. However, it’s generally safe for adults to take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) to help control diarrhea and soothe the stomach.

As you begin to feel better and your appetite returns, you can start with a BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.) Saltines and chicken noodle soup are other options until you’re ready to return to your regular diet.

Food safety tips

Unfortunately, food poisoning is incredibly common, and the likelihood of getting it only increases during the summer months as picnics and BBQs become more popular. But food poisoning is preventable, and knowing the following food safety tips will help ensure nobody gets sick at your outdoor gathering.

Clean - Before handling food, it’s best to clean your hands with soap and running water, but if you’re not near a kitchen sink, there are still ways to sanitize properly. Using hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol or sanitizing wipes is a good alternative. These work best when hands are already free of dirt and when you make sure to rub it in until it dries on its own.

Separate - When transporting foods, make sure to keep them separate. Raw meat and poultry should not be near cooked or ready-to-eat foods such as fruits or salads. The best practice is to use separate coolers, but if that’s not an option, wrapping the raw meat and placing it at the bottom of the cooler works. Additionally, use different utensils when grilling. You should have one set for uncooked food and another for cooked food.

Cook - Eating raw or undercooked meat, pork, poultry, fish, or shellfish is one of the easiest ways to contract food poisoning. Especially when grilling, it’s important to ensure your food is fully cooked, and using a meat thermometer is the only way to tell if your food is safe to eat. Cook foods to the following temperatures to prevent disease:

• Whole cuts of meat, steaks, or chops – 145 degrees with a 3-minute rest time
• Ground beef burgers – 160 degrees
• All poultry, including chicken wings or turkey burgers – 165 degrees
• Hot dogs – reheat to 165 degrees or until steaming hot

Chill - Keeping your prepared food at the proper temperature is more challenging at outdoor gatherings. Pack your coolers full of ice, ice packs, and other cold sources, and keep them closed and in the shade as much as possible.

Storage – While food is typically safe for two hours at room temperature, it’s only safe for one hour when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees. Keeping food at room temperature for several hours after serving creates an ideal environment for certain bacteria that causes food poisoning to grow. Meats and foods that contain mayonnaise, such as potato salad, are particularly vulnerable. The best way to avoid this is to put food away before enjoying the rest of your gathering.

Food poisoning is no fun, but it is preventable. Safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical to protect yourself, your family, and your friends during the warm-weather months.