Foods to avoid if you're over 65

Older people are at higher risk of food poisoning. And, some foods are more likely to cause food poisoning than
others. Heres advice on hich foods to avoid or !e careful ith hen youre over 65.
5 ays to avoid food poisoning
Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food
Store food at the correct temperature in the fridge (below 5 degrees C) or in a freezer
Follow cooking instructions carefully
Dont eat food after its !use by! date" e#en if it smells fine
$eep lefto#er food in the fridge for a ma%imum of two days and heat until steaming hot before eating
Some foods can cause food poisoning if theyre contaminated with certain bugs&
While most healthy people reco#er from food poisoningwithout treatment" youre especially #ulnerable to a bout of
se#ere (e#en life'threatening) food poisoning if youre o#er (5 because your immune system isnt as strong as that of
someone younger and its harder for your body to fight off germs&
Food poisoning isnt )ust a nuisance& *he symptoms in people o#er (5 are often worse than in a younger person"
and can lead to dangerous complications like dehydration&
+lder people can take longer to reco#er from food poisoning" too&
,f you ha#e symptoms of food poisoning seek medical help straight away&
-ere are foods to be careful with&
*his ad#ice also applies to anyone with a weakened immune system" including people with an underlying health
condition" pregnant women and babies and young children&
"ome soft cheeses
,ts best to a#oid eating mould'ripened soft cheese" such as brie and camembert along with soft blue cheeses" such as
danish blue" gorgonzola and ro.uefort and any unpasteurised soft cheeses&
*hese cheeses can be risky to eat when youre older because they may be less acidic and contain more moisture than
hard cheeses" which makes them an ideal en#ironment for food'poisoning bugs" particularly listeria" to grow in& Cooked
soft cheeses are fine because heat kills this bacteria&
#$t%
*ry to steer clear of all types of fresh or chilled p/t0" including #egetable p/t0s" as they can contain listeria& *inned pate
should be harmless as it would ha#e gone through a heat treatment as part of the canning process&
&a or runny eggs
1#oid foods that contain raw and undercooked eggs" such as homemade mayonnaise" eggnog and hollandaise sauce
because they increase your risk of salmonella food poisoning&
1lways cook eggs until the whites and yolks are solid to pre#ent problems& ,f you want to eat a dish that contains raw or
partially cooked egg it2s safer to use pasteurised eggs&
'old meats
3any cold meats such as salami" 4arma ham" chorizo and pepperoni are not cooked" )ust cured and fermented" so
there2s a risk that they contain to%oplasmosis'causing parasites& ,t2s best to check the instructions on the pack to see
whether the product is ready'to'eat or needs
cooking
first&
For ready'to'eat meats" you can reduce any risk from parasites by freezing cured5fermented meats for four days at home
before you eat them& Freezing kills most parasites and so makes the meat safer to eat&
,f you2re planning to cook the meat (for instance" pepperoni on pizza) then you don2t need to freeze it first&
,f you2re eating out in a restaurant that sells cold cured5fermented meats they may not ha#e been frozen& ,f you2re
concerned" ask the staff or a#oid eating it&
(ugs to !lame
Campylobacter is the most common germ that causes food poisoning in the 6$& +ther food poisoning bugs include7
salmonella
8&coli 9:5;
listeria
shigella
noro#irus
rota#irus
&a or undercooked meat and poultry
<e careful at barbecues& =are or undercooked meat > especially poultry" sausages and burgers > can harbour nasty
food poisoning bugs such as salmonella" campylobacter and 8&coli 9:5;&
3ake sure you cook meat or poultry thoroughly so theres no trace of pink or blood& 1nd remember to wash your hands
along with all kitchen surfaces and kni#es after preparing raw meat or poultry to pre#ent spreading any harmful bugs&
=ead our kitchen hygiene tips&
*ry this test to see how your home hygiene shapes up&
&a shellfish
-old the oysters? =aw shellfish (such as mussels" lobster" crab" prawns" scallops and clams) can contain harmful
bacteria and #iruses that can trigger food poisoning&
Cooked shellfish is safe" as are cold pre'cooked prawns&
"ushi
Sushi and other dishes made with raw fish are fine as long as the fish has been frozen first& *his is because fish
occasionally contains small parasitic worms that can make you ill" but freezing kills the worms and makes raw fish safe
to eat&
Sushi sold in shops is generally !bought in! and therefore safe to eat because it will ha#e been pre#iously frozen
appropriately&
,f you make your own sushi at home" freeze the fish for at least four days before using it&
)ilk
Dont drink raw (unpasteurised) milk& ,nstead" stick to pasteurised or 6-* (ultra'heat treated) milk > sometimes also
called long'life milk& ,n reality" all the milk sold in shops and supermarkets will be pasteurised or 6-*@ you can only buy
unpasteurised milk direct from farms" farm shops and at registered farmers2 markets&
(ean sprouts
<eware of raw or lightly cooked bean sprouts as they2re a potential source of nasty food poisoning&
*he warm" moist conditions re.uired to grow sprouts are ideal for the rapid growth of bacteria& So make sure to cook all
sprouted seeds thoroughly until they2re steaming hot throughout before eating them&