Let’s Share Some Food Safety Tips

Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands often with soap and clean water. And, wash them especially:

• before preparing food
• before cooking the food
• before eating any food, cooked or raw
• after using the toilet or helping someone else use the toilet
• after changing diapers
• after touching raw meat or fish
• after shaking hands

Monitor for Food Safety

In general, follow proper food safety tips:

• Serve it hot and steaming.
• Reheat leftovers until they are piping hot.
• If you are waiting for cooked foods to cool a little, keep it covered.
• Avoid uncooked or partially cooked chicken or other fowl.
• Avoid raw or undercooked fish or shellfish.
• Keep the raw and cook foods separated.
• Use separate cutting boards and cutting knives. If you only have one set, then wash them with safe water in between cutting them or eating with them.
• Avoid unpasteurized milk, cheese, or yogurt.
• Avoid salads and uncooked produce that you didn’t wash with safe water yourself.
• Store foods in proper and sealed containers.
• Refrigerate cooked foods as soon as you finish eating.
• Avoid foods that require raw handling (uncooked toppings, pre-cut fruit, raw salad) unless you prepared it safely.
• Air-dry foods, cutlery, and dishes after you wash them.
• Avoid buffet-style eating where multiple hands could be in the same food or on the serving utensils.
• Cook meats until the juices run clear or reaches a safe temperature on a meat thermometer.
• Avoid raw egg dishes and condiments like homemade mayo.
• Keep cold food cold and hot food hot.
• Read the label to know if it needs to be refrigerated or how long you have to consume it.
• Only drink bottled water if the seal is still intact.

If you are preparing the meal yourself in a clean environment or eating in a restaurant, then it should be safe to have partly cooked eggs, sushi, ceviche, and meats (cooked less than well done). But during service, avoid them. Eat that steak well done or not at all even if you cook it yourself.

Safe water comes from a known clean water source. If not, then it must be boiled, filtered, or disinfected. If you don’t know, assume it is not safe. And, avoid using shared cups if you can. Drink from clean cups and containers. Beware of “fresh” or premade drinks.

When should you use safe water?

• drinking
• brushing your teeth
• making ice
• washing fruits and vegetables you plan to eat raw
• cooking

We will say it again here – only drink bottled water if the seal is still intact when you receive it. Always break the seal to open the bottle yourself. If you get that bottled water in a restaurant and the server said they already opened it to make it easier for you, ask for a new unopened bottle. Unless you have an applicable disability, you don’t need help to open a twist bottle. Remember that scene from Slumdog Millionaire?

Do not leave your food or drinks unattended. If you have to step away (and you were not alone in the room), avoid eating or drinking it when you come back. These are different “types” of food safety tips.

Avoid the Ketchup Controversy

We are not going to rehash the debate here on whether ketchup needs to be refrigerated or not. During your Peace Corps service, whether or not to store opened condiments can become a hot button topic. PCVs are strong on their opinion on this one. So we will leave it to the manufacturers.

Read the label. If it says to refrigerate it, then do that. That one is easy. If it doesn’t specifically say it but it was previously something vacuum sealed, put it in the refrigerator too.

And if it does not have a label like homemade condiments, refrigerate it. But if the label say you only need to refrigerate after it is opened, then it is generally safe to leave it out until you open it. As soon as you open it, in it goes. You have nothing to lose except a little shelf space in the fridge. But the gain is a healthier and safer service experience.

The Sniff and Taste Test is Not Good Enough

If it smells bad or taste bad, don’t consume it. But, some pathogens don’t have a smell. And, some don’t change the taste. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Some pathogens cause illness even if it doesn’t make the food smell or taste bad. Follow the food safety tips. Don’t learn the hard way.

Getting doctor-level medical care is not as easy during service as it is in most parts of the USA. You are no longer five minutes away from a pharmacy, hospital, urgent care, or other medical facility. It is not so easy to reach a licensed medical doctor during service. And, the “pink stuff” may not be enough.

Be Safe With Food Safety Tips

Handle food safely. Avoid foods that have been sitting at room temperature for more than one hour. If in doubt, throw it out. Make sure your water is safe and clean. Only go to restaurants with good cleanliness and food handling scores.

If you will be away from that fridge for awhile, bring some safe defaults with you for snacks. Wash it first with safe water. Seal it. Bring safe water with you to drink. Bring some wipes or pre-plan for a way to clean your hands when safe water is limited. Bush stops are real.

If is more than just a stomach discomfort, get medical care. If you are a PCV, contact the Peace Corps Medical Officer (PCMO). Even if the illness itself isn’t that serious, dehydration can make it dangerous especially if you can’t keep fluids down.

Don’t dismiss your symptoms. And don’t let your medical care team dismiss you either. You may have food poisoning or dysentery. Or it may be something worse. Get a second opinion if it continues. Medical misdiagnosis happens.

There is no shortage of “latrine stories” between RPCVs. Expect anything from stomach discomforts up to explosive diarrhea. A lot of it is from unsafe food handling or unsanitary situations. But it is possible to make it through your Peace Corps service without a brown underwear situation.

These food safety tips apply all day every day, during service or not. Be safe. It’s worth it. You have enough challenges during service. Don’t add avoidable ones. A little extra caution goes a long way here.