Dr. Simone Wildes on food safety as summer heats up

CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. WELL, THE WEATHER IS HEATING UP JUST AS WE’RE ALL HEADING OUTSIDE, AND THAT CAN BRING SOME IMPORTANT REMINDERS WHEN IT COMES TO ALL THOSE PICNICS AND BARBECUES. SO HERE TO BRIGHTEN YOUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON IS DOCTOR SIMONE BILES THE BEST SMILE ON TELEVISION? AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH, DOCTOR WELLS, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY. SO AS WE ARE BRINGING ALL THAT FOOD AND ALL THAT STUFF TO THE BEACH, WHAT IS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN TEMPERATURES REALLY START TO SOAR, LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO AROUND HERE? YES. AND I TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE GREAT WEATHER WHEN WE GET TO GO OUTSIDE AND ENJOY PICNICS AND A GOOD COOKOUT. THE NUMBER ONE RULE OF THUMB KEEP HOT FOODS, HOT AND COLD FOODS COLD. I WILL ALSO SAY THERE ARE SOME FOODS THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO KEEP OUT FOR A VERY PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS VERY HOT. USUALLY THAT’S ABOUT TWO HOURS, AND IF THE TEMPERATURE GETS GREATER THAN 90, THEN YOU WANT TO ONLY KEEP THE FOOD OUT FOR JUST ONE HOUR. SO VERY TIME SENSITIVE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER. AND WHICH IS A HEADS UP FOLKS, TEMPERATURE WILL BE WELL ABOVE THAT NEXT WEEK. SO HOW QUICKLY CAN FOODBORNE ILLNESSES BECOME AN ISSUE? I MEAN QUICKLY OR WILL IT TAKE AN HOUR OR TWO? WELL, I MEAN, THE FOODBORNE ILLNESSES GENERALLY, IT CAN TAKE UP TO 30 MINUTES TO 2 HOURS BEFORE PEOPLE RUN INTO TROUBLE. BUT I THINK THE KEY THING IS TO REMEMBER THAT THE LONGER YOU HAVE THE FOOD OUT, THE ODDS INCREASE. FOR YOU TO DEVELOP SOME FOODBORNE ILLNESS. AND YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE ARE SOME FOOD PRODUCTS THAT SHOULD REALLY NEVER RISK WHEN YOU’RE OUTSIDE IN THIS HEAT. WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE? JEN, IT’S A GREAT QUESTION. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS ON THE LIST THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF. I’LL JUST REMIND YOU, LIKE RAW MEAT. POULTRY, SEAFOOD. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT DAIRY PRODUCTS, THE EGG BASED SALADS. WE ALL LOVE TO HAVE OUR POTATO SALADS. AND THEN YOU HAVE COOKED PASTA MIXED WITH MAYONNAISE, WHICH IS CLASSIC, WHICH ALSO CREATES A LOT OF PROBLEMS. BUT I THINK ONE THAT PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET IS WATERMELON AND TOMATOES. THAT’S ALSO ON THE LIST THAT YOU SHOULD PROBABLY NOT BRING TO COOKOUTS, WHICH I KNOW I MYSELF HAVE GONE AND SEEN WATERMELONS AT A LOT OF. I KNOW I HAVE NEVER GUESSED THAT ONE, BUT IT’S A GOOD REMINDER. IT’S A GREAT REMINDER. SO. SO LET’S SAY THE KIDS HAVE HAD, I DON’T KNOW, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE. AND WHAT KIND OF SIGNS SHOULD PARENTS BEGIN TO LOOK OUT FOR? I MEAN, WE KNOW THE LITTLE ONES HAVE TROUBLE, FOR EXAMPLE, POLICING THEMSELVES, RIGHT? OH, ABSOLUTELY. WE ALL KNOW THAT ANYBODY CAN GET FOODBORNE ILLNESS, BUT PARTICULARLY CHILDREN THAT ARE LESS THAN FIVE, THEY TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SUSCEPTIBLE. AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM ISN’T AS WELL DEVELOPED. AND ALSO THEIR STOMACH ACID IS NOT AS MUCH AS ADULTS. AND SO THEY CAN’T FIGHT OR KILL THE GERMS AS QUICKLY. SO BIG THING WITH THESE CHILDREN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DEVELOP NAUSEA, VOMITING, THEY GET FEVER AND THEY GET DIARRHEA AND STOMACH CRAMPS AND PAIN. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT MOST OF THESE CASES ARE GOING TO GET BETTER. BUT I WILL SAY TO PARENTS, IF YOU FIND THAT YOUR CHILD IS NOT KEEPING ANYTHING DOWN OR THEY ARE DEHYDRATED, THEN I THINK THAT’S THE TIME YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM TO THE HOSPITAL SO THEY CAN GET EVALUATED FOR FLUIDS OR IF THEY NEED SOME OTHER THERAPY. YEAH, VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER. SO WE CAN ALL ENJOY THOSE SUMMER