Food Safety for People Living with HIV/AIDS

Why is food safety so important?
You can protect yourself from many infections by preparing food properly. Meat, poultry and fish can make you sick if they are raw, undercooked or stored improperly. Food can carry bacteria that may cause serious infections in people living with HIV. Food-borne illnesses are more common, and more difficult to recover from, for people living with HIV. Symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea are often much worse and more difficult to treat in people with HIV.

How can I avoid food-borne illnesses?

• Cook all meat and poultry until no longer pink in the middle. On a meat thermometer, the temperature inside red meat should be 165°F (75°C) and poultry should be 180°F (82°C). Fish should be cooked until flaky.
• After handling raw meat, poultry and/or fish, wash your hands well with soap and water before you touch other food.
• Thoroughly wash cutting boards, cooking utensils and countertops with soap and hot water after they have had contact with raw meat, poultry or fish.
• Do not let raw meat, poultry, fish or their juices touch other food or each other.
• Do not let meat, poultry or fish sit at room temperature for more than a few minutes.
• Eat or drink only pasteurized milk or dairy products.

What should I do when shopping for food?

• Do not buy any food that contains raw or undercooked meat or eggs if you plan to eat it raw.
• Be sure that the best before date has not passed.
• Store packaged meat, poultry or fish in separate plastic bags.
• After shopping, put cold and frozen foods in your fridge or freezer immediately. Do not leave food sitting in the car. Keeping cold and frozen food out of the fridge for even a short time gives bacteria a chance to grow.

How can I safely store food?

• Keep your refrigerator at or below 40°F (4.5°C), freezers should be at or below 0°F (-18°C).
• Throw away perishable ready-to-eat or leftover foods after 2 days.
• Thaw food from frozen in the refrigerator or under cold running water.
• Do not prepare food more than 2 hours before serving without plans for proper cooling.
• Keep packed lunches/dinners at safe temperatures (hot foods stay hot, cold foods stay cold)

What are risky foods I should avoid?

• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, fish and shell fish
• Unpasteurized milk and/or chilled fruit juices
• Raw sprouts (like alfalfa)
• Soft cheeses made with raw milk
• Hot dogs and luncheon meats that have not been reheated to steaming hot
• Refrigerated pates and meat spreads
• Refrigerated smoked fish and pre-cook seafood, such as shrimp and crab
• Note that Grapefruit, grapefruit juice and tangelos can interfere with medication absorption rates.

For online courses and additional food safety resources, visit:
http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/publichealth/envhealth/education/courses.htm

Sources:
1. Food Safety for High Risk Populations; Pilot Oct. 2004. Presenter: Hillers, V. Professor, Extension Specialist. Washington State University.
2. Smith, JL. Long Term consequences of foodborne toxoplasmosis: Effects on the unborn, the immunocompromised, the elderly, and the immunocompetent. J Food Prot. 1997. Pgs 1595-1611.