Ensuring Food Safety

Other bearers of illness-producing bacteria may surprise you. Take deli meats, for example. Cold cuts and hot dogs can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria if not packaged properly. Food contamination can happen at any stage of the process – from growing to processing to shipping to preparing. It’s a particular challenge with foods that aren’t cooked enough to help kill bacteria. And while food poisoning is nasty for anyone, it can be life-threating for older adults and those with compromised immune systems. 

As we age, our immune systems can be less effective. Older people, for example, tend to have less stomach acid. Stomach acid has a bad reputation – thanks in large part to the numerous commercials telling us how to fight heartburn and acid reflux. But stomach acid is actually a powerful barrier to bacteria that can cause disease.