rod@wet.UUCP (Rod McKim) (06/26/91)
I picked up the following at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco:
DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENTS
1. Meat, Poultry, and eggs should be cooked thoroughly before
eating, including hot dogs, sausages, etc. If eggs are runny,
then it is likely that they have not been cooked long enough to
kill the bacteria that may be present. (Examples of thoroughly
cooked eggs include eggs that have been scrambled hard, and eggs
which are boiled 7-10 minutes.) Also, avoid nibbling on these
foods while they are cooking. Meat and poultry are cooked when
they have changed color, i.e., chicken needs to change from pink
to white meat, and no part of the cut of beef or pork should be
red. Ideally, stakes should not be pink, either. There is a
significant difference between cuts of meat and ground mead with
regards to the need for through cooking. There is a potential for
contamination throughout the ground meat as a result of the
grinding process. Therefore, pink hamburger poses more of a risk
as a source of bacterial infection than pink steak.
2. Unpasteurized milk and dairy products made from
unpasteurized milk should be avoided completely.
3. Raw egg-containing foods that are not cooked prior to eating
should be avoided completely. Examples are any homemade
mayonnaise, eggnog, and cake frosting, caesar salad, and protein
drinks with raw egg added. Also included in this category are
uncooked cake, cookie and pancake batters and homemade AL721 if
raw eggs are used.
4. Surfaces and implements (such as cutting boards and barbecue
platters) used to prepare raw poultry, meat and eggs should be
thoroughly cleaned with soapy water before use with any other
foods. Remember that hands should also be washed with soap and
water after handling raw meat, poultry and eggs. This may help
prevent transfer of bacteria from the raw food on your hands to
your mouth. Therefore, avoid nibbling on items such as crackers
and avoid touching your face with your hands while preparing raw
meats or poultry.
5. Raw shellfish (including clams and oysters) should be
avoided completely. Shell fish are filter feeders and can,
therefore concentrate potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.
Raw fish should also be avoided.
6. It is unknown at this time whether or not raw fruits and
vegetables pose any risk. However, they should always be washed
and peeled before eating.
{25 Jun 1991}