Food Poisoning
High Risk Individuals

When it comes to food safety, high risk individuals are those people highly susceptible to food poisoning. This group includes the following:

• Children/Infants. The immune systems of children are not completely set up at birth, which means that they’re not ready to take the onslaught of germs that the world provides. Infants and children develop their immune systems through daily contact and activities; their bodies will contract a germ and begin to fight right away. If the germ is too strong, however, the systems can’t fight it and medical attention will be needed.

  
  

• Elderly people. The elderly population is considered high risk because physical aging creates an environment in which the immune system may not fight off germs as it once did – or the immune system may be repressed by medications the individual may be taking.

  
  

• Those who are already sick. Let’s face it: if you’re already sick or taking medications, your body isn’t up to full speed. And bacteria know how to kick you when you’re down! So they go after you, your body isn’t up to the task, and you get worse.

  
  

• Pregnant women. When you’re pregnant, your body is already working overtime (so my wife tells me) and, again, your immune system may not be ready to take on the challenge of a food borne illness. Talk to your doctor about what you should avoid, and what you should do if you feel sick.

OK, concerned parents, I have a recommendation for you. If you're like me, you're thinking about how to keep your kids safe at all times. And a friend of mine has a great web site that covers complete safety for your baby and child! I learned a lot - hope you do too!

Are you not in one of these groups? That does NOT mean you’re free and clear. ANYONE can become sick from something he/she eats, so don’t assume that you are always going to be healthy. Good food is your life blood of your body, supplying it with nutrients that you need in order to live! We’ve talked about how food borne illness starts and spreads; another way to look at how food can make you sick is to learn how food spoils.

What’s the best thing you can do to keep yourself and your family safe? Know what to look out for when you shop in grocery stores or visit restaurants. And know how to avoid food poisoning at home.

To check out Food-Safety-and-You.com's home page, click here.