PUTNAM COUNTY- It was 14 years ago when Putnam County experienced its worst case of food poisoning on record.
A Mother’s Day celebration at the Chuang Yen Monastery in Kent Cliffs turned distressing on that Sunday afternoon in 2012 when scores of guests attending the garden party became sickened with food poisoning and were taken to area hospitals.
Officials said 700 men, women and children were on hand for the Buddhist Day Garden Party annual event at the picturesque retreat off Route 301, when guests suddenly began feeling sick, vomiting, and experiencing flu-like symptoms and diarrhea.
A triage center was set up on the grounds of the monastery directly in front of the Great Buddha Hall. The entire county was mobilized: EMTs from the Kent F.D., Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mahopac Falls F.D, Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and TransCare Paramedic Service treated patients before ordering that 35 be taken to area hospitals (Putnam Hospital, Hudson Valley Hospital Center and Vassar Brothers Hospital) for additional emergency care.
To complicate matters, 80 attendees of the festival who had been transported to Putnam by charter coach from Orange County fell ill on their way to the Woodbury Common outlet center, and EMS personnel from the western side of the Hudson assisted those victims.
Others fell ill in Westchester. A family of four returning home became ill in Harrison while a van returning to Chinatown with guests from the party made an emergency stop at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla when its passengers came down with the sudden illness.
Putnam County Health Department officials remember that occurrence and have reminded the public that “clean, separate, cook and chill” is the safe-food-handling mantra of all food safety experts.
Senior Public Health Sanitarian Mitch Lee reminded the public Friday that “cleanliness is a key first step. Anyone handling food must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, both before and after handling food. This is the preferred and most effective method for preventing illness. If residents are outdoors, or in a location where soap and water are unavailable, hand sanitizer can be used. Be sure to check the label to confirm that it contains at least 60 percent alcohol.”
Cleanliness goes beyond handwashing. Utensils, cutting boards, and work surfaces should also be kept clean. For picnics, prepare as much as possible at home. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, even those with inedible skins or rinds. If needed, bring a food-safe sanitizing solution for outdoor food-contact surfaces.
The health department also emphasizes separating foods to prevent cross-contamination. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from ready-to-eat foods such as salads and fruit. Pack them separately in a cooler, ideally one with a drain, and place raw items on the bottom in case they leak. Use separate cutting boards if food needs to be cut. Also, never put cooked food on a plate that held raw meat or seafood unless it has been washed in hot, soapy water, and never reuse marinades from raw foods unless they have been boiled.
One of the most common causes of foodborne illness is improper cooling of cooked food. So, when one is finished eating, all leftovers should be refrigerated promptly. The rules advise never to leave food out of refrigeration for more than two hours. But if the temperature is above 90ºF, food should be refrigerated within one hour.
Food poisoning symptoms vary widely from mild to more severe, life-threatening symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and cramps, and fever are the most common results, usually appearing within hours, but can also occur days or weeks later. Most people get better without treatment or seeing a healthcare provider. However, if these symptoms continue and/or worsen, and dehydration occurs, it is important to call a healthcare provider.
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