Holiday Food Safety: Food poisoning bacteria can begin to multiply and cause illness at temperatures of 60 degrees and higher. Food poisoning, caused by harmful bacteria, normally produces intestinal flu-like symptoms lasting a few hours to several days and can be serious in the young, the old and people with other illnesses.
Keep everything that touches food clean. Wash your hands before, during and after food preparation. Wash utensils, bowls, and countertops--everything that comes into contact with food. By observing cold storage, sanitation, and thorough cooking you can keep your food safe.
Holiday Plants:Holiday plants and products usually not seen or available during the other months of the year account for many problems during the holiday season.
For example, most people don't know that all parts of mistletoe are toxic, and the berries may cause poisoning in children. Additionally, English Holly is toxic. Ingestion of 20 or 30 berries can cause serious poisoning.
Some seasonal nontoxic plants include Pyracantha, Eugenia and California Holly. Poinsettias are essentially nontoxic, but can cause stomach upset if ingested.
Christmas cactus and pinecones are nontoxic.
Christmas Tree and Decorations:Christmas trees such as pines, spruces and junipers may cause severe stomach upset if large amounts are ingested, but this would be unlikely as the consistency of the trees makes them difficult to eat. Ingestions of small amounts may cause a localized irritation of the mouth.
Christmas decorations can be dangerous. Care should be taken to hang glass bulbs and light bulbs high on the tree to prevent accidents. Angel hair, or spun glass, is very irritating to the skin and eyes. Ornaments imported from other countries may be painted with a lead paint and could be toxic if ingested. Ingestion of large amounts of tinsel can cause obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract.
Safety-related holiday issues:Toys: Toys that require batteries, especially small batteries used in watches, cameras and calculators, can be dangerous if swallowed. They may cause burns or may leak chemicals that cause poisoning. Toy related injuries peak during the holidays. Parents should carefully review the toys on their child's wish-list and consider the responsibility level of the child. Small toys that break easily may be swallowed by small children or pets and cause serious injuries. Potentially dangerous items such as darts, slingshots and BB guns can cause injury and loss of sight, especially during the excitement of holidays.
Young Children and Alcohol: Alcohol poisoning is common in children throughout the year, but increases during the holidays. This often occurs when children drink the leftover cocktails after parties, or when adults allow them to drink from their glasses. Colognes, perfumes and after-shave contain heavy concentrations of alcohol. Small children might ingest these products by mistake if they are attractively packaged. Children are sensitive to alcohol, especially to its ability to lower blood sugar.
RSS