Are fruits, vegetables (including roots), and nuts safe to consume for most cancer patients? For patients with a compromised immune system (neutropenia, leukopenia, HCT recipient, transplant recipient)?
For most cancer patients, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, and nuts are safe to consume if processing of foods follow current USDA, FDA, and CDC recommendations for the use of safe food handling procedures. Additionally, individuals are recommended to avoid consumption of foods that pose a high risk of infection in general (i.e. excessive raw fish or meats). The effectiveness of these guidelines is dependent on patient and caregiver knowledge about, and adherence to, safe food handling practices and avoidance of higher-risk foods. Details on these specific recommendations can be found in our blog series on Food Safety and Handling.
However, for cancer patients experiencing signs of a compromised immune system, extra precautions may be needed. Current clinical evidence is unable to define specific dietary restrictions required to prevent foodborne infection in immunocompromised cancer patients. Active recommendations (from USDA, FDA, and CDC) for food safety are based on general food safety guidelines and the avoidance of foods most likely to contain pathogenic organisms. The effectiveness of these guidelines is dependent on patient and caregiver knowledge about, and adherence to, safe food handling practices and avoidance of higher-risk foods.
Table here is adapted from NIH’s food safety and handling guide for immunocompromised patients only.
For most cancer patients, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, and nuts are safe to consume if processing of foods follow current USDA, FDA, and CDC recommendations for the use of safe food handling procedures. Additionally, individuals are recommended to avoid consumption of foods that pose a high risk of infection in general (i.e. excessive raw fish or meats). The effectiveness of these guidelines is dependent on patient and caregiver knowledge about, and adherence to, safe food handling practices and avoidance of higher-risk foods. Details on these specific recommendations can be found in our blog series on Food Safety and Handling.
However, for cancer patients experiencing signs of a compromised immune system, extra precautions may be needed. Current clinical evidence is unable to define specific dietary restrictions required to prevent foodborne infection in immunocompromised cancer patients. Active recommendations (from USDA, FDA, and CDC) for food safety are based on general food safety guidelines and the avoidance of foods most likely to contain pathogenic organisms. The effectiveness of these guidelines is dependent on patient and caregiver knowledge about, and adherence to, safe food handling practices and avoidance of higher-risk foods.
Table here is adapted from NIH’s food safety and handling guide for immunocompromised patients only.
Sources
- Moody K, Finlay J, Mancuso C, et al.: Feasibility and safety of a pilot randomized trial of infection rate: neutropenic diet versus standard food safety guidelines. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 28 (3): 126-33, 2006.
- Gardner A, Mattiuzzi G, Faderl S, et al.: Randomized comparison of cooked and noncooked diets in patients undergoing remission induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia. J Clin Oncol 26 (35): 5684-8, 2008.
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