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According to the FDA, one in six Americans experience foodborne illness, resulting in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths each year. In most cases, those with properly functioning immune systems will recover faster from a foodborne illness without any severe complications. However, some people are at greater risk for developing life-threatening complications and are considered high-risk.
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Pregnant Women and Their Unborn Babies: Pregnancy weakens the immune system, putting both the mother and unborn baby at greater risk.
Children: Children younger than five are considered high-risk due to underdeveloped immune systems that cannot fight off infections.
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Older Adults: As people age, their immune system weakens, leaving them more susceptible to severe illness caused by foodborne pathogens.
Medically Compromised: Diseases such as diabetes, cancer and certain autoimmune diseases weaken the immune system. Some medications used to treat these diseases can also lower immune system response.
Protection Measures for High-Risk Groups:
NC food establishments primarily serving food to high-risk groups, such as nursing homes, assisted living centers, hospitals, and day care centers, are not allowed to serve the following:
- Raw or undercooked meat or poultry.
- Raw or partially cooked seafood.
- Raw shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, scallops).
- Raw or undercooked eggs/foods containing raw or undercooked eggs.
- Raw sprouts such as alfalfa or bean sprouts.
- Unpasteurized (raw) milk and products made with unpasteurized milk.
- Unpasteurized juices.
Food establishments open to the general public may serve food that is raw or undercooked if a consumer advisory is provided informing the customer of raw or undercooked menu items. However, to protect high-risk patrons, comminuted meat may not be offered on a children’s menu.
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A consumer advisory must contain two parts:
1) Disclosure: A written description that clearly identifies food of animal origin and unpasteurized juices that are served/ordered raw or undercooked or contain raw or undercooked ingredients.
2) Reminder: A written statement reminding consumers of the possible health risks associated with consuming raw or undercooked foods.
Sample Language for Disclosures and Reminders:
- “Notice: Items marked with * may be cooked to order or may contain raw or undercooked ingredients. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.”
- “Caesar salad dressing contains raw eggs. Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness".
Read additional Consumer Advisory information here.
On April 22-23, 2024, Union County Environmental Health hosted a Certified Food Protection Manager course. The course allowed participants to learn through visual and hands-on training components and obtain certification in 1.5 days. Participants were also provided a manual, study guide, training materials, industry tools, and infographics in both English and Spanish. Read the full story here.
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Busy work schedules can prevent workers from attending in-person training classes. Many organizations offer online food safety manager certification courses, but not all are accredited and approved.
See the ANSI National Accreditation Board's website for a list of organizations that offer NC-approved ANSI-accredited online Certified Food Protection Manager courses.
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