One-third of parents say children got foodborne illness at home

Gary L. Freed

One-third of parents reported that their child got sick from food eaten in their own home, and the effort they put into preventing food poisoning varies, according to results from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

“Contaminated food can make both kids and adults very sick very quickly,” Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH, the Percy and Mary Murphy Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan School of Medicine and professor of health management and policy at University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in a press release. “For very young children, whose immune systems are not fully developed, this kind of illness can present a greater risk of serious complications. Simple precautions, like checking restaurant inspections and following food safety rules when cooking and storing food, can help keep your family safe.”

To investigate parents’ experiences and concerns regarding food safety, Freed and colleagues conducted a survey of a nationally representative sample of households in November 2017. The survey included 2,005 parents aged 18 years and older.

The researchers found that 11% of parents believed their child got sick from eating spoiled or contaminated food. Approximately 31% of parents suspected a foodborne illness in their child came from eating food at their own home, 21% speculated that the food poisoning occurred at school, 14% identified food from a friend’s house as the source and 11% believed food poisoning happened at a potluck dinner. Of those surveyed, only 27% reported avoiding food items with egg or mayonnaise when attending a potluck dinner. Furthermore, although parents indicated that they thought restaurants were the most common sites of food poisoning (68%), only 25% checked health inspection ratings before eating at a restaurant.

Food safety was more highly prioritized within the home, according to the researchers, with 87% of parents reporting that they had washed their hands before preparing a meal. Most parents also indicated that they washed produce (80%). Another 84% reported checking expiration dates on refrigerated food, with 57% reporting that they smelled or tasted the expired food to see if it was safe for their child’s consumption and 43% reporting that they threw away any expired food immediately. Upon hearing of a food recall, 58% reported they would throw away the food, with 40% reporting they would return the food for a refund or replacement.

Researchers also found that 18% of parents were uncertain as to whether or not their child’s symptoms were food related.

“[Since] around one-third of parents reported that their child got sick after eating a meal at home, greater attention to making sure food preparation areas are as clean as possible as well as washing fruits and vegetables can help to prevent foodborne illnesses at home,” Freed told Infectious Diseases in Children. – by Melissa J. Webb

Reference:

Mott Poll Report. Safe to eat? Parent food safety practices for their children. https://mottpoll.org/reports/safe-eat-parent-food-safety-practices-their-children. Accessed July 22, 2018.

Disclosure: Freed reports no relevant financial disclosures.