Is our food making us sick?

On the heels of finishing Fast Food Nation, I found myself sick this weekend.  I don't know if it was something I ate, but it sure did feel like it.  I'm sure you know what I am talking about, so I won't go into details.  I have had an upset stomach a lot of times, due to being somewhat food sensitive, but I haven't ever experienced a sudden and lasting sickness caused most likely by food.

I guess I am pretty lucky considering how much I dine out, but I am also very cautious with what I will eat.  This leads me to wonder: is getting sick from food inevitable or preventable?  I recall that recently I was asked at a restaurant how I wanted my pork loin cooked.  I took a second to answer, during which time the waitress said "It's OK, our pork is very good".  I do not think the issue of trichinosis being found in pork having anything to do with the quality of the pork, but, low and behold, from the Hormel website of all places "Improved production and processing conditions have mostly eliminated the risk of trichinosis but some risk does remain".  I wonder when we'll start to hear "How do you want your chicken cooked?"

Most people I know have gotten sick from food (I hesitate to call it food poisoning because I think of poisoning as going-to-the-hospital-sick), I guess it was just my turn.  I wonder about all the times I escaped getting sick by just choosing wisely or by washing my hands.  While I try to be careful in my own kitchen, I don't have a microscope to check for bacteria roaming my counters and sink.  Ugh, imagine the sponge.  Yet, we live on, eating everyday, and eating some really freaky stuff at times, I might add.  I guess it was just my time.

Anyway, I'm all better, but it'll be a while before I eat a crepe again...

Comments

[Dr. Biggles]

I haven't been food-sick in a long time, co-workers have been though. Out for 2 days too. Due to messy food prep, raw meaty parts touching lettuce & mater parts.

So far, I haven't made myself sick. Nor have I made my family ill from anything I've done in the kitchen. I only use a sponge for about a week. Hot soapy water for the wooden cutting boards. I refuse to use plastic cutting boards, they ruin the edges of my knives and I hate touching and looking at them. Pleah ! I'm pretty fierce about keeping the fridge clean as well. I have to admit though, the freezer isn't all that great to behold. I'm sure I'll slip up at some point, not going to worry about it.

Biggles

[alice]

The Papa Bear thinks it's because of my scientist training, but I am very paranoid about chemical cleansers. I have yet to get sick from raw meat - even had raw chicken in Japan growing up - but I have this deadly fear for chemical cleansers used to clean kitchen counters getting on my food. I generally will not eat anything that accidentally hits a surface cleaned by them... Sorry to hear you were sick... It's so very painful...

[Sam]

I am not sure if I want to ask you which creperie, in case it is one of my absolute favourites in town.
Hope you feel better soon. I am off to England next week and I am going to bring you back some Angel Delight. Butterscotch flavour. When you taste it, you'll see why I bought it for you!

[Zanny]

Trichinosis in pork does not have anything to do with the cleanliness of the preparatory surfaces or utensils with which it came into contact. It is a parasite in pork and is killed by heat. Which is why we cook pork to 160 degrees (it used to be 180). And you do not just get food poisoning - you get really sick because it doesn't just go through your system, but rather stays with it.

After assumming for years the South Pole Record Seeker, Robert Scott and his crew had died from starvation, cold, and scurvy (as if that wasn't enough)it has been hypothesized they died from ---- guess what? Yep, trichinosis. Turns out polar bear meat is like pork and carries trichinosis parasite. Probably didn't help they were pretty wasted away which is not a prevalent condition to be found among food bloggers!

[Calichef]

I don't know if this will matter to you, or not, but there hasn't been a documented case of trichinosis that occured in the United States since the late 1940's. The server was right about it being extremely low risk, the server was just wrong about the reason why.