Older Adults

If you or someone you care for is 65 or older, there are increased risks for foodborne illness from Salmonella bacteria. This makes choosing pasteurized eggs more critical than ever.

Here's why:

• As the body ages, the digestive system slows down. This means bacteria such as Salmonella spend more time in the system, with greater opportunity to cause illness.
• With age, the immune system often weakens, making a person more susceptible to foodborne illness.
• By age 65, many people are taking at least one medication for a chronic health condition. Many medications also weaken the immune system.
• A decline in sense of smell and taste may make it easier for an older person to accidentally eat spoiled food. (However, not all dangerous food smells or tastes spoiled.)
• Some older Americans have less-than-optimal nutrition, due to social factors (such as living alone), reduced enjoyment of food (due to taste changes), or ongoing health conditions (such as surgery or disease).
• A natural decline in sense of thirst means that dehydration is more common, making the body less resilient and more susceptible to infection.

Salmonella

Why focus on Salmonella? Of all the bacteria that cause foodborne illness, Salmonella is number-one, causing more cases of illness than any other bacteria. In all, that's about 1.4 million illnesses in the US every year—and more deaths than any other foodborne illness culprit.

Four out of five of these illnesses trace back to eggs. This is what makes Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs, which eliminate this risk of Salmonella, such a powerful tool in food safety.

The reality is that—compared with their younger family members— older Americans are 10 to 100 times more likely to contract a foodborne illness. Most deaths from Salmonella illness strike elderly Americans, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More About Salmonella Illness

Salmonella bacteria, most commonly a strain called Salmonella enteritidis, enter the body through contaminated food. As few as 15 bacterial cells can cause illness. Up to three days later, symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and headache appear. Illness lasts a few days or more.

Sometimes, a physician will recommend hospitalization to treat dehydration and severe diarrhea. Recovery time depends on the exact strain of Salmonella bacteria and a patient's overall health.

On occasion, Salmonella illness delivers a kind of one-two punch: A few weeks after initial illness, 1 in 50 sufferers develops reactive arthritis, also called Reiter's Syndrome. Reiter's brings on symptoms such as urinary inflammation, incontinence, conjunctivitis (irritation in the eyes), joint pain, and sometimes skin lesions. This illness may continue for months.

Simple Prevention & Egg Safety

A few simple food-safe steps can lend extra protection to you or the vulnerable seniors in your life:

• Use pasteurized eggs for egg meals like sunny-side up eggs, omelets, quiche, or even French toast.
• Use pasteurized eggs for any dish that calls for raw or undercooked eggs, like eggnog, Caesar salad dressing, or even raw cookie dough—where sampling is irresistible!
• Avoid other foods associated with Salmonella illness, such as raw seed sprouts (alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, etc.). Normally, cooking eliminates foodborne bacteria, but sprouts are often eaten raw.
• Wash all produce and keep it refrigerated after cutting or chopping.
• Cook chicken to a minimum safe temperature of 165°F. The way to be sure is to use a thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone. Frozen, pre-made chicken dishes may still require thorough cooking, warn health officials. Check package directions to be sure.
• Wash hands before preparing food. Many germs travel on human hands!
• Keep perishable foods cold (at 40°F), and hot foods hot. Experts say many foodborne illnesses trace back to foods that spend too much time at room temperature. This means you should store leftovers in the refrigerator promptly, and thaw frozen food in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.
• Use clean cutting boards and utensils when switching from raw meat to another food. This prevents transfer of bacteria from uncooked foods.

The truth is that susceptibility to foodborne illness and its potentially devastating effects goes hand-in-hand with aging. But a little know-how can go a long way in protecting health. The simple step of choosing pasteurized eggs to replace regular eggs eliminates the largest risk.