Awareness and First Aid

Summer in South Africa means braai season and more time with friends and family. But the warm weather, perfect for throwing something on the braai combined with cooking outdoors, can also be a recipe for disaster if food is not stored or cooked properly.

Food poisoning can put an unnecessary damper on a time that should ideally be spent out of the GP’s office.

Food poisoning is caused by food that has been contaminated by bacteria, viruses, chemicals or parasites. Symptoms typically appear within hours of eating contaminated food. 

Common symptoms are:

  • Upset stomach
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea
  • Diarrhoea with bloody stools
  • Stomach pain and cramps
  • Fever

While food poisoning often presents itself as a stomach bug that one can recover from in the comfort of one's own home, it can progress where symptoms become more severe, affecting one's nervous system. If you experience symptoms such as blurred vision, a headache, loss of movement in your limbs, issues with swallowing or feeling weak, please seek medical help immediately.

Prevention is better than cure. Here are simple tips to avoid food poisoning this festive season:

Clean your braai stand

Before you place your charcoal (which is the safer accelerant to use to start a braai fire compared to petrol, paraffin or oil), give the braai stand a proper cleaning, especially if it hasn’t been used in a long time.

Be aware of the meat!

Chicken, fish and pork are potential high-risk meats. Smell the meat before you cook it, and if it smells odd, rather don’t risk it.

Pay close attention to the expiry date of any meat especially those on special; you often find the meat is either really close to reaching the expiry date or has already expired by a day or two. But because it might be cheaper, people don’t always take this into consideration.

Wash your hands and clean your tools and surfaces

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before preparing food and after cooking and eating, particularly if you've been handling raw meat.

Keep utensils and serving dishes clean when preparing food, and don't mix utensils used to prepare raw and ready-to-eat dishes. For example, use different chopping boards for raw meat and vegetables or fruit.

Be mindful of how you store foods

Don’t leave foods that need to be refrigerated in the car for an extended period of time:

  • Store leftovers promptly: Make sure any leftover food is stored in airtight containers and refrigerated within two hours of cooking.
  • Reheat thoroughly: When reheating leftovers, ensure the food is heated to the correct temperature to kill any bacteria.

If you or someone you know is experiencing severe symptoms of food poisoning, call ER24 on 084 124 immediately.