Most people take it for granted that the food they buy is safe. In fact, you really have no way of knowing how many people touched your food before it even reached the grocery store. And, if you aren’t careful how you handle it, you can contaminate it in your own kitchen.
Food borne disease is commonly “food poisoning,” is a serious problem year round, but, especially in the warmer months. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in the U.S. alone there are “around 76 million cases of food borne diseases, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths estimated to occur each year.”
Most people who are aware of the dangers of food borne illness rely on commercially prepared vegetable washes, antibacterial soap, chemical-laden sprays and – worse than that – chlorine (one of the most toxic substances known to man) to keep their food and their kitchen free of harmful microorganisms. But, these chemicals might be even riskier than the bacteria.
Fortunately, there is a much healthier, less expensive solution to the problem of preventing food borne illness. Colloidal silver can be used to decontaminate your food and the surfaces in your kitchen you use during food preparation. Furthermore, it can be used to preserve your food from the growth of harmful bacteria and other pathogens caused by mishandling.
How Does Food Poisoning Occur?
Numerous people handle your food before it even reaches the grocery store, so disease-causing bacteria may already be on it when you purchase it. Raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs can, naturally, harbor unsafe bacterial. But, fresh produce is sometimes a worse source of danger, especially, when it is served un-cooked.
Even properly cooked, ready-to-eat foods, can become cross-contaminated by improper handling or preparation on unclean surfaces or with bacteria-laden utensils. You can also become ill if the person handling your food is sick.
Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7 and a group of viruses called calicivirus, also known as the Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses are among the pathogens most commonly recognized as causes of food poisoning. But, there are others like shigella, staph and cryptosporidium, which can cause very serious infections.
Staphylococcus aureus can grow in some foods and produce a toxin that causes intense vomiting. It can produce illness even if the microbes that produced them are no longer there. Even the virus that causes strep throat is known to have been transmitted by contaminated food.
What are the Symptoms of Food Poisoning?
The symptoms of food poisoning vary based on the particular contaminant, but most cause flu-like symptoms, weakness, abdominal cramps, diarrhea or vomiting. The body loses vital hydration very quickly, especially, in cases of prolonged diarrhea. Symptoms can develop within 30 minutes of eating contaminated food and may run their course in 24 to 48 hours.
For people who are already in a weakened condition, such as the very young, the very elderly and pregnant women, food poisoning can mean serious illness and even death. For pregnant women food borne illnesses can cause premature birth, infections in the child, stillbirth. About 10% of stillbirths lead to the death to the woman, as well. Therefore, it is especially important for the most vulnerable people to take special care to avoid food borne contaminants.
Accoding to the CDC, the following are the symptoms of food poisoning from some common pathogens involved in food borne illness:
Campylobacter causes fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. It is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the world. These bacteria live in the intestines of healthy birds, and most raw poultry meat has Campylobacter on it. Eating undercooked chicken, or other food that has been contaminated with juices dripping from raw chicken is the most frequent source of this infection.
Salmonella is also commonly found in the intestines of birds and mammals. Salmonellosis, typically includes fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, it can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.
E. coli O157:H7 is a bacterial pathogen common to cattle. The illness it causes is often a severe and bloody diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps, without much fever. In 3% to 5% of cases, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can occur several weeks after the initial symptoms. This severe complication includes temporary anemia, profuse bleeding, and kidney failure.
Calicivirus, or Norwalk-like virus is an extremely common cause of food borne illness, though it is rarely diagnosed, because the laboratory test is not widely available. It causes an acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea, that resolves within two days. It is believed that Norwalk-like viruses spread primarily from one infected person to another. Infected kitchen workers can contaminate a salad or sandwich as they prepare it, if they have the virus on their hands. Infected fishermen have contaminated oysters as they harvested them.
How to Use Colloidal Silver to Help Prevent Food Poisoning
Take a common sense approach to food safety by adhering to the guidelines provided by the official guidelines when thawing, storing and cooking food. And, use colloidal silver to help decontaminate, clean and preserve your food.
Colloidal silver has been clinically shown to destroy hundreds of harmful bacteria and viruses in 5 to 6 minutes in a concentration of 5 to 10 ppm. It is an inexpensive, safe and highly efficient alternative to commercial products and chlorine. It is a valuable weapon in your fight against food borne illness.
One of the best ways to use colloidal silver around the house is by pouring it into a clean bottle with a spray top. Then, when you prepare your food, decontaminate surfaces and utensils by spraying the surface with colloidal silver.
Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F, so the most basic way to avoid contamination through mis-handling is to maintain the proper temperature. Keep cold food cold (below 40 °F) and hot food hot (above 140 °F). If you have any doubts about whether your food has been properly thawed or refrigerated, simply add some colloidal silver (one or two teaspoons) to your preparation.
Of course, you should wash your hands in warm soapy water before you handle food. And, you should always wash after you use the bathroom, handle pets or change diapers. But, bacteria can live on towels, in sponges and dish cloths, too. Keep these clean and spray them with colloidal silver to kill harmful pathogens and retard mold growth.
Be careful not to cross-contaminate your food. For example, do not cut raw meat with a knife and then use the same knife to prepare a raw salad. Do not use the same cutting board to prepare raw meat, fish or poultry and then use it to prepare vegetables.
Wash your cutting boards, utensils and surfaces and then decontaminate them with colloidal silver.
When you put left overs in the refrigerator, preserve them longer and eliminate harmful microorganisms by stirring in a teaspoon or two of colloidal silver.
Using colloidal silver to clean and preserve your food is another way to help maintain your overall health and wellness. Using colloidal silver in place of harmful cleaning chemicals reduces your exposure to those hazards, too.
Best of all, colloidal silver is easy and inexpensive to make. The Silvonic with Automatic Shut-off makes it easier than ever to produce perfect batches of 10 to 15 ppm colloidal silver. It’s an excellent generator for people who are new to making colloidal silver and it comes with a full set of instructions. You will be amazed at how powerful colloidal silver is and how it will bring you peace of mind in so many ways. Making and using colloidal silver is a way to to make positive changes in your health, your life and the lives of your loved ones.
When you order the Silvonic right now, you’ll get a free TDS meter so you can check the quality of both your distilled water and your colloidal silver.
The Silvonic comes with a lifetime warranty. Made in the U.S.A..
References:
“Foodborne Illnesses and Diseases: What Consumers Need to Know,” U.S. Department of Agriculture: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Foodborne_Illness_What_Consumers_Need_to_Know/index.asp
“Foodborne Illness,” Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm#mostcommon
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