Reference no: EM132436638

Problem: Nicole attended a gathering of her coworkers on a warm Saturday in July. The theme of the party was international dining. Nicole and her husband brought an Argentinian dish, potato and beef empanadas. They followed the recipe and cooking time carefully, removing the dish from the oven at 1 p.m. and keeping it warm by wrapping the pan in a towel. They traveled in their car to the party and set the dish out on the buffet table at 3 p.m. Dinner was to be served at 4 p.m. However, the guests were enjoying themselves so much lounging around the host's pool and drinking ginger beer (also on the menu) that no one began to eat until 6 p.m. Nicole made sure she sampled the empanadas that she and her husband made, but her husband did not. She also had some salad, garlic bread, and a sweet dessert made with coconut.

The couple returned home at 11 p.m. and went to bed. At about 2 a.m., Nicole knew something was wrong. She had severe abdominal pain and had to make a dash to the bathroom. She spent most of the next 3 hours in the bathroom with severe diarrhea. By dawn, the diarrhea subsided and she started to feel better. After a few cups of tea and a light breakfast, she was feeling like herself by noon. On Monday at work, she discovered that several of her coworkers also had diarrhea on Saturday night.

1. Based on her symptoms, what type of foodborne illness did Nicole contract?
2. Why is the beef the most likely vehicle for this type of foodborne illness?
3. Why is consuming food at large gatherings risky?
4. What precautions for avoiding foodborne illness were ignored by Nicole and the rest of the people at the party?
5. How could this scenario be rewritten to substantially reduce the risk of foodborne illness?