food poison essay

Essay on Food Poisoning

Students are often asked to write an essay on Food Poisoning in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Food Poisoning

What is food poisoning.

Food poisoning is when someone gets sick from eating food that has bad germs. These germs are like tiny bugs that can cause trouble in your stomach and intestines. It happens when food is not cooked properly, is dirty, or sits out too long.

Common Symptoms

When a person has food poisoning, they might feel like throwing up, have diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, or feel very tired. These signs can start a few hours after eating the bad food or sometimes even days later.

Preventing Food Poisoning

To avoid food poisoning, always wash your hands before eating or cooking. Make sure your food is cooked well and kept at safe temperatures. Don’t eat food that looks or smells strange.

What to Do If You Get Sick

If you think you have food poisoning, it’s important to drink lots of water and rest. Most of the time, it gets better on its own. But if you feel really bad or if it doesn’t get better, you should tell an adult and see a doctor.

250 Words Essay on Food Poisoning

When a person has food poisoning, they might feel like throwing up, have a stomachache, diarrhea, or fever. These signs can start just a few hours after eating the bad food or sometimes not until a few days later. Most of the time, these symptoms are not too serious and the person gets better in a day or two.

Causes of Food Poisoning

Germs like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria are some of the main causes of food poisoning. They can get into food in many ways. If someone who is cooking doesn’t wash their hands or if meat is not cooked until it’s really hot, germs can survive and make people sick. Raw fruits and vegetables that aren’t washed can also have germs on them.

To avoid getting food poisoning, it’s important to wash your hands before you eat or make food. Make sure food is cooked well and kept at the right temperature, either very hot or very cold. Also, keep your kitchen clean and don’t eat food that looks or smells strange.

If you think you have food poisoning, it’s best to drink lots of water and rest. If you feel very sick, your parents can take you to a doctor. It’s especially important to see a doctor if you can’t keep water down or if you have been sick for more than a few days.

500 Words Essay on Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a common problem that happens when you eat food contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, or toxins. This can lead to feeling very sick, with symptoms like stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. It’s not usually serious and most people get better on their own without needing to see a doctor.

Symptoms to Watch For

Symptoms of food poisoning can start within hours after eating the bad food, or they might take days to appear. Common signs include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. People usually feel better in a few days, but it’s important to drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration, especially in young children and older adults.

To prevent food poisoning, always wash your hands before handling food. Make sure to cook meat all the way through and keep raw meat away from other foods to avoid cross-contamination. It’s also a good idea to refrigerate leftovers quickly and not eat food that’s been sitting out for too long.

What to Do If You Get Food Poisoning

If you think you have food poisoning, it’s important to drink plenty of fluids and rest. Eating bland foods like toast and rice can help settle your stomach. If your symptoms are very bad or don’t get better after a few days, you should tell an adult and see a doctor.

When to See a Doctor

Most of the time, food poisoning will get better on its own. But if you have symptoms like blood in your vomit or stool, high fever, or if you feel very dehydrated and can’t keep fluids down, you should get medical help right away.

Food poisoning is an unpleasant experience that can make you feel very sick. By understanding what causes it and how to prevent it, you can help keep yourself and others safe from this illness. Remember to handle food safely and always pay attention to how your body feels after eating. If you ever suspect you have food poisoning, don’t hesitate to seek help and get the care you need to feel better.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Most Popular

10 days ago

Not Just the US – British Students Are Also Drowning in Debt

Most common misconceptions about language learning: what do redditors think, how to write a literary analysis essay, are gender studies and philosophy majors misunderstood reddit weighs in, students caught their professor evaluating assignments with chatgpt. what does reddit think, food poisoning essay sample, example.

A person usually gets food poisoning as a result of consuming contaminated or spoiled food and drinks. It often happens at picnics, in school cafeterias, restaurants, and other similar places. There are different ways food can get contaminated. For example, meat can become contaminated by contacting the intestines of an animal being processed ; water can contact animal or human waste and become infected as well. Generally, contamination occurs when food is improperly processed or stored. Other ways of contamination include dirty hands, improperly-cleaned cooking utensils, an expired expiry date, and so on. Besides, a person can get food poisoning when consuming raw or under-cooked products—fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs, or meat ( Medline Plus ).

Generally speaking, food poisoning is an intoxication caused by low-quality food. However, a more meticulous scrutiny reveals that food poisoning has a lot to do with malicious bacterium; commonly, these bacterium comprise Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, and some others. Although they are, in general, not life-threatening, in rare cases there can be serious complications caused by the exposure to these bacterium, such as reactive arthritis or brain/nerve problems ( Web MD ).

Symptoms of food poisoning include fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, general weakness, and strong abdominal pain or cramps. Usually, the symptoms start within the first several hours after contamination, but in some cases, food poisoning symptoms can remain hidden for days or even weeks. The sickness usually lasts up to three days; in the majority of cases, one can treat the sickness themselves: usually it is enough to adhere to a special diet (often it is is recommended to eat boiled rice, and drink a lot of strong tea or plain water) and take charcoal pills. However, there might be cases when it is crucial that a person with food poisoning visits a doctor. The list of disturbing symptoms includes bloody vomit or stools; diarrhea for more than three days; an oral temperature higher than 101.5 F; dehydration, severe weakness, and neurological symptoms such as blurry vision or tingling ( Mayo Clinic ).

Food poisoning is a common but distressing digestion disorder usually caused by the consumption of contaminated food. In order to minimize the risks of developing the symptoms, which include nausea, diarrhea, weakness, fever, and some other manifestations, one should avoid eating raw or under-cooked food, wash hands before meals, and always check the expiry date on a product package. Food poisoning is easy to treat, but there are cases when it is better to seek medical aid; these cases include having blood in one’s vomit or stool, dehydration, high oral temperature, and neurological symptoms.

“Food Poisoning: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Recovery.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/food-poisoning>

“Food Poisoning.” Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-poisoning/basics/symptoms/con-20031705>

“Food Poisoning.” Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. <https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001652.htm>

Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.

Comments (0)

Welcome to A*Help comments!

We’re all about debate and discussion at A*Help.

We value the diverse opinions of users, so you may find points of view that you don’t agree with. And that’s cool. However, there are certain things we’re not OK with: attempts to manipulate our data in any way, for example, or the posting of discriminative, offensive, hateful, or disparaging material.

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More from Essay on Food Examples and Samples

Nov 23 2023

Why Is Of Mice And Men Banned

Nov 07 2023

Pride and Prejudice Themes

May 10 2023

Remote Collaboration and Evidence Based Care Essay Sample, Example

Related writing guides, writing an expository essay.

Remember Me

What is your profession ? Student Teacher Writer Other

Forgotten Password?

Username or Email

• Biology Article
• Food Poisoning Introduction Symptoms Food Preservation

Food Poisoning - Introduction, Symptoms & Food Preservation

Food is an integral part of existence for living organisms. It provides us with energy to carry out every day activities. It helps build our immunity system to be fit to fight against diseases. This is the reason why it becomes all the more necessary to eat the right food at the right time. Sometimes, microorganisms grow on the food which we consume. Food gets contaminated when these microorganisms multiply and release toxic substances, resulting in food poisoning.

Let us have a detailed look at the causes, symptoms and treatment of food poisoning.

Causes of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning can be caused by the following three factors:

Bacteria is the major cause of food poisoning.  Salmonella  is the major cause of food poisoning in the US.  Campylobacter  and  Clostridium botulinum  are the other two lethal causes of food poisoning.

The viruses responsible for food poisoning include norovirus, sapovirus, rotavirus, and astrovirus. Food poisoning through viruses is less common, but proves to be fatal. Hepatitis A virus is a serious condition transmitted through food.

Food poisoning through parasites is very rare. Toxoplasma, a common cause of food poisoning, can be found in cat litter boxes.

Food can also be contaminated during the growing, harvesting and storage steps. The harmful organisms transfer from one surface to the other and result in food contamination. The raw, ready-to-cook food products are more at risk. Since these food items are not cooked, therefore the pathogens are not destroyed resulting in food poisoning.

Symptoms Of Food Poisoning

Following are a few of the symptoms to help you check if you are diagnosed with food poisoning

• Irritable abdominal cramps
• Loss of appetite

Also Read:  Food Poisoning Symptoms

Treatment of Food Poisoning

The following treatment should be given to a person suffering from food poisoning:

• Drink plenty of liquids to replace the lost electrolytes
• Allow ice cubes to melt in the mouth or sip small amounts of water even if vomiting persists.
• Gradually start eating blander food items such as cereals, toast, rice, banana, etc.

Prevention of Food from Contamination

To prevent food from contamination, it is very important to adopt proper methods for food preservation. We can preserve food by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms on food and slowing oxidation of fats.

Storage and preservation of whole food grains and cooked food are different. Microbes act on cooked food since it needs moisture to breed and whole food is usually devoid of moisture. This is the reason why bread left unused under moist conditions sees the action of microbes on it.

One of the characteristics of contaminated food apart from visible changes is that it emits a foul smell and tastes different than usual.

Listed below are a few methods of food preservation using which food can be prevented from contamination.

Chemical Method

Preservatives are used to check microbial activity in this method of preservation of food. Acid preservatives are also added to prevent food from spoilage in pickles, squashes, jams, canned food, etc. Some common preservatives:

• Edible Oils
• Sodium benzoate
• Sodium metabisulphite

Preservation by common salt

Salt removes water from any food material as it is water absorbent. In the absence of water, microbes do not multiply. Hence salt is added to fish and meat to extract moisture content so that microbial activity is inhibited. It is also added to tamarind, raw mangoes etc. A salt solution, called brine is used in the process of pickling.

Preservation by sugar

Sugar, salt, absorbs moisture from food, making it too dry for microbes to exist. In food items like jams and jellies, sugar is added as a preservative. The process of desiccating food by dehydrating it first and then packing it with pure sugar is known as sugaring. Sugaring is used to preserve food, some fruits are preserved this way. In some cases, meat and fish are also preserved using the sugaring process.

Preservation by Oil and Vinegar

One of the most commonly used methods to preserve food is the use of edible oil. Oil and vinegar checks on spoilage in pickles. Fruits and vegetables are also oiled to preserve them from getting rotten. Vinegar has properties to stop and slow down the spoilage of food over a long period of time, it does so because acidity level or pH of vinegar does not allow any microbial activity to occur.

Heat and Cold Treatments

Boiling milk and food before storing them is one of the methods of food preservation. Pasteurization is the process of heating packaged and unpackaged foods to about 70 degrees Celsius for 15-30 seconds and stored after suddenly chilling. This way, milk can be consumed without boiling as it is free from microbes. We preserve meat and other food items under cold temperatures in the freezer to prevent attack by microbes.

Storage and Packing

Fruits, vegetables, and cooked food are stored in airtight containers, aluminium foils, cans, paper bags, and Ziploc bags to prevent them from getting contaminated.

Also Read:  Food Adulteration

To explore more about Food Poisoning or other related topics, please register at BYJU’S.

Related Links

Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!

Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz

Visit BYJU’S for all Biology related queries and study materials

Your result is as below

Request OTP on Voice Call

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post My Comment

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Officers and staff of the environmental health department, intervention strategies.

Normally, food poisoning incidences encompass symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and nausea. As a result, food handlers have a significant task in ensuring safe preparation and handling ways to avoid food poisoning for in terms of spreading pathogens, they are at greater public health risk. Infected food handlers, in particular, signify an exceptionally great risk for the spread of infection to consumers when bare contaminated hands encounter foods. This paper proposes a Departmental Policy Document in a bid to detail the accountability of the department in the investigation of a Salmonella food poisoning outbreak. As the Senior EHP at Downtown City Council, I prepared the document, included the choice of intervention policies available, and determined their effectiveness. The aforementioned food poisoning outbreak relates to a cold buffet supplied by a local firm. Successful management and investigation of food poisoning outbreaks rely on different agencies. Every officer with liability for services dealing with food should make sure that all staff members are conscious of the set rules coupled with educating and sensitizing people.

Most food poisoning cases comprise symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and nausea. The aforementioned symptoms emerge in normal situations twenty-four to forty-eight hours following infection and stay for approximately one to two days. Food handlers directly handle or get food ready and thus have a significant task to ensure safe preparation and handling ways to avoid food poisoning (Nyachuba 2010). Infected food handlers, especially, signify an exceedingly great risk for the spread of pathogens to consumers when bare contaminated hands come to contact with ready foods. Since cooking does not cause the destruction of spores, when foods are kept below 63°C, there might be the germination of spores generating food poisoning bacteria. On the other hand, when food is re-contaminated at below 63°C, there is a good chance for food poisoning bacteria to multiply to adequate numbers to bring about illness.

Salmonella is a major cause of food poisoning. Salmonella can be present in eggs, unpasteurized milk, and meat, especially from poultry. Apart from salmonella, other four bacteria cause food poisoning and they include Campylobacter , E.coli, Listeria, and Clostridium perfringens (Nyachuba 2010). This paper discusses a Departmental Policy Document produced by the Downtown City Council in a bid to detail the responsibility of the department in the investigation of a Salmonella food poisoning outbreak. As the Senior EHP, I am required to prepare the document, including the choice of intervention policies available, and measure their effectiveness. The aforementioned outbreak is connected to a cold buffet supplied by a local firm. This firm of outside caterers provided cooked savory dishes, sandwiches, and puddings for fifty individuals at a christening.

From the menu, the local firm supplied at the christening, the most probable foods associated with the outbreak caused is sandwiches and puddings as they contain chicken meat and eggs. Inappropriately handled and improperly cooked poultry and eggs signify the foods that most often bring about Salmonella food poisoning. Chicken is a chief source of Salmonella bacteria that explains its existence in poultry products (Cox & Pavic 2010). Nevertheless, recognizing foods that might be contaminated with the bacteria is mainly hard, as infected chickens characteristically demonstrate no symptoms or signs. Because infected chickens do not possess identifying attributes, these chickens proceed to lay eggs or they are consumed as meat (Parry, Miles, Tridente, & Palmer 2004).

In the past, the common assumption was that Salmonella bacteria existed only in cracked eggs, thus permitting the bacteria to penetrate. Eventually, it emerged that since the eggshell contains small pores, un-cracked eggs that stayed for some time on a surface where Salmonella is present could as well turn out to be contaminated (Cox & Pavic 2010). In addition, it is clear that the bacteria may pass from an infected chicken into the egg prior to the formation of the shell around it. Even though food having Salmonella is properly cooked, any type of food can be contaminated in the course of preparation if situations and utensils for food preparation are not sanitary (Cox & Pavic 2010). This scenario is called cross-contamination. In this regard, it is apparent that any of the foods provided in the menu by the local firm could have carried the Salmonella bacteria as any foods may be contaminated by chance when they get into contact with contaminated surfaces.

Food poisoning due to salmonella denotes the most general cause of food-borne disease and it is called salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is a bacterial illness brought about by a range of kinds of Salmonella bacteria. The symptoms of this food-borne illness appear approximately one to two days following infection. Fever, nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are some of the symptoms of salmonella food poisoning (Sandora, Shih & Goldmann 2008). The diarrhea is generally liquid and seldom includes blood or mucus. Diarrhea regularly stays for roughly four days. The infection regularly stops in roughly five to seven days. Severe complications are uncommon happening most often in persons with various medical diseases. Complications arise if the Salmonella bacteria get into the bloodstream. When it gets into the bloodstream, the Salmonella bacteria can penetrate any organ system all over the body, resulting in illness.

A task that other agencies could carry out in the investigation

The key intention in the management and investigation of a food poisoning outbreak is protecting public health by discovering the cause of the food poisoning outbreak and executing required evaluations to prevent the continued spread of the infection. Successful management and investigation of food poisoning outbreaks are reliant on different agencies as listed here. For instance, good communication linking the Health Protection Agency, Local Authority, National Public Health Service and every interested party is of paramount importance. When it emerges to the Director of Public Protection (DPP), the Director of Microbiology Laboratory (DML), or the Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) that a food poisoning outbreak may have occurred (when a huge number of people reports illness after food consumption), instant contact is made. All parties will together consider the details existing and verify whether an outbreak exists (Sandora, Shih & Goldmann 2008). Any of the parties may announce an outbreak when required.

The resolution to announce an outbreak and then set up an Outbreak Control Team (OCT) when need be could be made by the aforementioned three parties. The OCT group will usually be critical if some of the following typifies the food poisoning outbreak:-

• Instant and/or ongoing health hazard noteworthy to the local people
• Instances of serious illness
• Huge numbers of instances
• Participation of different local authorities

National Health Service (NHS) Trusts give health care and collaborate with every relevant agency for the investigation, avoidance, and control of food poisoning illnesses (Sandora, Shih & Goldmann 2008). In addition, the role of NHS includes providing every essential support to the outbreak control team in the occurrence of an outbreak. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) merges the functions of the district health authorities, Chemical Incident Support Unit (CISU), Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC), and other components of health protection. The HPA supplies knowledge and laboratory services with regard to microorganisms that are the cause of food poisoning outbreaks. Admittance to the Health Protection Agency and its services is given via the National Public Health Service Microbiology Laboratories (NPHSML).

The basic objective of the Environmental Health Department (EHD) is to guard human life as well as health. If an outbreak the one that happened in the christening were to take place in Downtown, the officers and staff of the EHD should take up the following procedures among others.

• Visit the premises and carry out a thorough inspection
• Make sure that staff are completely conscious of all possible food hazards
• Make sure that high standards of individual and environmental cleanliness are held to at every stage to guarantee food safety
• Gratify existing legal obligations
• Reduce the risk of client health complaints or additional action in opposition to the Trust.

All officers with liability for services that deal with food should make sure that all appropriate staff members are conscious of, and stick to, this Policy. During the purchase of foodstuff from suppliers, staff members have to be contented that premises are sanitary. In conditions where there is temperature abuse, the officers and staff of EHD must make sure that the foodstuff is not consumed if the directions on the wrapping do not affirm that it is harmless to do so (Humphrey 2004). When eggs are bought, they must be marked with a date for which to consume before. The officers and staff of EHD must ensure that all foods are bought or sold prior to the “sell-by date”. Additionally, they must ensure that all foods are consumed before their “use by” date. The officers and staff must uphold documentation of the food outlets giving meals from several external sources to guarantee traceability in case of a food poisoning outbreak.

The officers and staff should see to it that cold food kept in the fridge is stored in hygienic, clearly labeled, and sealed containers. In situations where the stored food is not fully consumed, the remaining must be thrown away at the end of each day. Proper food storage is essential to guarantee satisfactory provision all through the year. Failure to warrant suitable situations of humidity, temperature, and reliability of packaging could bring setbacks of unhealthy or spoiled food with at the very slightest causing of a substantial decrease in shelf life (Tostmann, Bousema & Oliver 2012).

Currently, it is not sufficient to take caution merely with cracked eggs; any food consumed by family members could be a means of infection. There is a variety of intervention strategies existing to the Officers of EHD and their efficiency in controlling food poisoning outbreaks as the one mentioned earlier (Miljkovic, Nganje & Onyango 2009). Some of these intervention strategies include the following.

• Sensitizing people to practice thorough personal hygiene: will not only assist family members, but everyone consuming the food. It is important to note that Salmonella bacteria are exceedingly hardy (can endure even on surfaces) and that just a few are enough to bring severe sickness (Yamamoto & Voss 2008). Given that there is no sensible method of policing the cleanliness of food handlers, it is vital to confirm with local health departments with the aim of identifying any food dealer that may have been provided with admonitions. The rising trend of giving sanitation cards for display is as well a move in the right course.
• The officers must teach people ways to evade cross-contamination. This element necessitates being very careful of the surfaces (particularly cutting boards) in addition to the utensils employed when preparing a meal and that have had contact with raw meat (Ray & Bhunia 2004). This aspect also signifies that utensils utilized to transport uncooked meat to the cooker must not be the similar ones that are later utilized to take out the meat (or any other food) from the cooker when it is ready for consumption.
• Officers have the task of making sure that meat and poultry products like eggs are safe, healthy, and correctly labeled.
• Officers are charged with guarding consumers against contaminated, unsafe, and deceitfully labeled food except in areas controlled by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a food safety mission falling within its scrutiny and outbreak response actions (Montville & Matthews 2008). Officers should ensure that food suppliers satisfy all the set obligations in a bid to guarantee food safety and prevent cases of food poisoning.

Conventionally, food poisoning incidences comprise symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and nausea. Food handlers thus have a significant task to ensure safe preparation and handling ways to avoid food poisoning as when it comes to spreading pathogens, they are at greater public health risk. Infected food handlers in particular signify an exceptionally great risk for the spread of infection to consumers when bare contaminated hands come to contact with foods. This policy document is an effective departmental policy in reducing and eradicating cases of food poisoning and ensuring food safety as it discusses the scope of intervention strategies in addition to their effectiveness in controlling food poisoning. Through sensitizing and educating people coupled with ensuring that rules set followed, officers in various health departments play a significant role in controlling food poisoning and guaranteeing food safety.

Cox, J & Pavic, 2010, ‘Advances in enteropathogen control in poultry production’, Journal of Applied Microbiology , vol. 108 no. 3, pp.745-755.

Humphrey, T 2004, ‘Science and society: Salmonella, stress responses, and food safety’, Nature Reviews Microbiology , vol. 2 no. 6, pp. 504-509.

Miljkovic, D, Nganje, W & Onyango, B 2009, ‘Offsetting behavior and the benefits of food safety regulation’, Journal of Food Safety , vol. 29 no. 1, pp. 49-58.

Montville, T & Matthews, K 2008, Food microbiology: An introduction , Amer Society for Microbiology, Washington.

Nyachuba, D, 2010, ‘Foodborne illness: Is it on the rise’, Nutrition Reviews , vol. 68 no. 5, pp. 257-269.

Parry, S, Miles, S, Tridente, A & Palmer, S 2004, ‘Differences in perception of risk between people who have and have not experienced Salmonella food poisoning’, Risk Analysis: An International Journal , vol. 24 no. 1, pp. 289-299.

Ray, B & Bhunia, 2004, Fundamental food microbiology , CRC Press LLC, Florida.

Sandora, T, Shih, M & Goldmann , D 2008 , ‘Reducing absenteeism from gastrointestinal and respiratory illness in elementary school students: A randomized controlled trial of an infection-control intervention’, Paediatrics, vol. 121 no. 1, pp. 1555-1562.

Tostmann, A, Bousema, T & Oliver, I 2012, ‘Investigation of outbreaks complicated by universal exposure’, Emerging Infectious Diseases , vol. 18 no. 11, pp. 1717-1722.

Yamamoto, S & Voss, K 2008, ‘Meeting the challenges of toxic microorganisms and pathogens: Implications for food safety and public health’, Food Additives & Contaminants , vol. 25 no. 9, pp. 1047-1049.

• The Intervention Plan For a Food Poisoning Incident
• The Sunshine Wok: Food Hygiene Inspection
• Raising Awareness on Food Poisoning Among Children Riyadh
• Salmonella in Raws for Paws Pet Food
• Salmonella Heidelberg Pandemic Strains
• Food Safety Policy for a Music Festival
• Food Provision at the Annisburgh District Music Festival
• Analysis of Pig Feed Formulations
• Antibiotics in Meat and Health Effects for People
• The Routine Food Hygiene Inspection
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, May 9). Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident. https://ivypanda.com/essays/investigation-of-a-food-poisoning-incident/

"Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident." IvyPanda , 9 May 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/investigation-of-a-food-poisoning-incident/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident'. 9 May.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident." May 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/investigation-of-a-food-poisoning-incident/.

1. IvyPanda . "Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident." May 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/investigation-of-a-food-poisoning-incident/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident." May 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/investigation-of-a-food-poisoning-incident/.

• Patient Care & Health Information
• Diseases & Conditions
• Food poisoning

Food poisoning, a type of foodborne illness, is a sickness people get from something they ate or drank. The causes are germs or other harmful things in the food or beverage.

Symptoms of food poisoning often include upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms usually start within hours or several days of eating the food. Most people have mild illness and get better without treatment.

Sometimes food poisoning causes severe illness or complications.

Products & Services

• A Book: Mayo Clinic Guide to Home Remedies

Symptoms vary depending on what is causing the illness. They may begin within a few hours or a few weeks depending on the cause.

Common symptoms are:

• Upset stomach.
• Diarrhea with bloody stools.
• Stomach pain and cramps.

Less often food poisoning affects the nervous system and can cause severe disease. Symptoms may include:

• Blurred or double vision.
• Loss of movement in limbs.
• Problems with swallowing.
• Tingling or numbness of skin.
• Changes in sound of the voice.

When to see a doctor

Infants and children.

Vomiting and diarrhea can quickly cause low levels of body fluids, also called dehydration, in infants and children. This can cause serious illness in infants.

Call your child's health care provider if your child's symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea and any of the following:

• Unusual changes in behavior or thinking.
• Excessive thirst.
• Little or no urination.
• Diarrhea that lasts more than a day.
• Vomiting often.
• Stools that have blood or pus.
• Stools that are black or tarry.
• Severe pain in the stomach or rectum.
• Any fever in children under 2 years of age.
• Fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) or higher in older children.
• History of other medical problems.

Adults should see a health care provider or get emergency care if the following occur:

• Nervous system symptoms, such as blurry vision, muscle weakness and tingling of skin.
• Changes in thinking or behavior.
• Fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius).
• Diarrhea that lasts more than three days.
• Symptoms of dehydration — excessive thirst, dry mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness, or lightheadedness.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

Error Email field is required

Error Include a valid email address

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Thank you for subscribing!

You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription

Please, try again in a couple of minutes

Many germs or harmful things, called contaminants, can cause foodborne illnesses. Food or drink that carries a contaminant is called "contaminated." Food can be contaminated with any of the following:

• Parasites that can live in the intestines.
• Poisons, also called toxins.
• Bacteria that carry or make toxins.
• Molds that make toxins.

Understanding terms

The term "food poisoning" is commonly used to describe all foodborne illnesses. A health care provider might use these terms to be more specific:

• "Foodborne illnesses" means all illnesses from any contaminated food or beverage.
• "Food poisoning" means illness specifically from a toxin in food. Food poisoning is a type of foodborne illness.

How food becomes contaminated

Food can be contaminated at any point from the farm or fishery to the table. The problem can begin during growing, harvesting or catching, processing, storing, shipping, or preparing.

Food can be contaminated any place it's handled, including the home, because of:

• Poor handwashing. Feces that remains on the hands after using the toilet can contaminate food. Other contaminants can be transferred from hands during food preparation or food serving.
• Not disinfecting cooking or eating areas. Unwashed knives, cutting boards or other kitchen tools can spread contaminants.
• Improper storage. Food left out for too long at room temperature can become contaminated. Food stored in the refrigerator for too long can spoil. Also, food stored in a refrigerator or freezer that is too warm can spoil.

Common causes

The following table shows common causes of foodborne illnesses, the time from exposure to the beginning of symptoms and common sources of contamination.

Other sources

Bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses can also be found in swimming pools, lakes, ponds, rivers and seawater. Also, some bacteria, such as E. coli, may be spread by exposure to animals carrying the disease.

Risk factors

Anyone can get food poisoning. Some people are more likely to get sick or have more-serious disease or complications. These people include:

• Infants and children.
• Pregnant people.
• Older adults.
• People with weakened immune systems due to another disease or treatments.

Complications

In most healthy adults, complications are uncommon. They can include the following.

Dehydration

The most common complication is dehydration. This a severe loss of water and salts and minerals. Both vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration.

Most healthy adults can drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration. Children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or other illnesses may not be able to replace the fluids they've lost. They are more likely to become dehydrated.

People who become dehydrated may need to get fluids directly into the bloodstream at the hospital. Severe dehydration can cause organ damage, other severe disease and death if not treated.

Complications of systemic disease

Some contaminants can cause more widespread disease in the body, also called systemic disease or infection. This is more common in people who are older, have weakened immune systems or other medical conditions. Systemic infections from foodborne bacteria may cause:

• Blood clots in the kidneys. E. coli can result in blood clots that block the kidneys' filtering system. This condition, called hemolytic uremic syndrome, results in the sudden failure of the kidneys to filter waste from the blood. Less often, other bacteria or viruses may cause this condition.
• Bacteria in the bloodstream. Bacteria in the blood can cause disease in the blood itself or spread disease to other parts of the body.
• Meningitis. Meningitis is inflammation that may damage the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
• Sepsis. Sepsis is an overreaction of the immune system to systemic disease that damages the body's own tissues.

Pregnancy complications

Illness from the listeria bacteria during pregnancy can result in:

• Miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Sepsis in the newborn.
• Meningitis in the newborn.

Rare complications

Rare complications include conditions that may develop after food poisoning, including:

• Arthritis. Arthritis is swelling, tenderness or pain in joints.
• Irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome is a lifelong condition of the intestines that causes pain, cramping and irregular bowel movements.
• Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome is an immune system attack on nerves that can result in tingling, numbness and loss of muscle control.
• Breathing difficulties. Rarely, botulism can damage nerves that control the muscles involved in breathing.

To prevent food poisoning at home:

• Handwashing. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do this after using the toilet, before eating, and before and after handling food.
• Wash fruits and vegetables. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, peeling or preparing.
• Wash kitchen utensils thoroughly. Wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils with soapy water after contact with raw meats or unwashed fruits and vegetables.
• Don't eat raw or undercooked meat or fish. Use a meat thermometer to make sure meat is cooked enough. Cook whole meats and fish to at least 145 F (63 C) and let rest for at least three minutes. Cook ground meat to at least 160 F (71 C). Cook whole and ground poultry to at least 165 F (74 C).
• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Put leftovers in covered containers in the refrigerator right after your meal. Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. If you don't think you'll eat them within four days, freeze them right away.
• Cook leftovers safely. You can safely thaw frozen food three ways. You can microwave it. You can move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Or you can put the frozen food in a leakproof container and put it in cold water on the counter. Reheat leftovers until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
• Throw it out when in doubt. If you aren't sure if a food has been prepared, served or stored safely, discard it. Even if it looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to eat.
• Throw out moldy food. Throw out any baked foods with mold. Throw out moldy soft fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, berries or peaches. And throw away any nuts or nut products with mold. You can trim away mold from firm foods with low moisture, such as carrots, bell peppers and hard cheeses. Cut away at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) around the moldy part of the food.
• Clean your refrigerator. Clean the inside of the refrigerator every few months. Make a cleaning solution of 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of baking soda and 1 quart (0.9 liters) of water. Clean visible mold in the refrigerator or on the door seals. Use a solution of 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of bleach in 1 quart (0.9 liters) of water.

Safety for at-risk people

Food poisoning is especially serious during pregnancies and for young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. These illnesses may be life-threatening. These individuals should avoid the following foods:

• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish.
• Raw or undercooked eggs or foods that may contain them, such as cookie dough and homemade ice cream.
• Raw sprouts, such as alfalfa, bean, clover and radish sprouts.
• Unpasteurized juices and ciders.
• Unpasteurized milk and milk products.
• Soft cheeses, such as feta, brie and Camembert; blue-veined cheese; and unpasteurized cheese.
• Refrigerated pates and meat spreads.
• Uncooked hot dogs, luncheon meats and deli meats.
• Foodborne germs and illnesses. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Definition & facts of food poisoning. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/food-poisoning/definition-facts. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Symptoms & causes of food poisoning. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/food-poisoning/symptoms-causes. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• LaRocque R. Causes of acute infectious diarrhea and other foodborne illnesses in resource-rich settings. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Bennett JE, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Schmitt BD. Pediatric Telephone Protocols: Office Version. 17th ed. American Academy of Pediatrics; 2021.
• Fever. American College of Emergency Physicians. https://www.emergencyphysicians.org/article/know-when-to-go/fever. Accessed Nov. 30, 2022.
• Bacteria and viruses. FoodSafety.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-poisoning/bacteria-and-viruses. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Kellerman RD, et al. Foodborne illnesses. In: Conn's Current Therapy 2022. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 13, 2022.
• Goldman L, et al., eds. Giardiasis. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 13, 2022.
• Diagnosis of food poisoning. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/food-poisoning/diagnosis. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• LaRocque R. Approach to the adult with acute diarrhea in resource-rich settings. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Treatment for food poisoning. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/food-poisoning/treatment. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Eating, diet and nutrition for food poisoning. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/food-poisoning/eating-diet-nutrition. Accessed Nov. 20, 2022.
• Four steps to food safety: Clean, separate, cook, chill. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html. Accessed Nov. 7, 2022.
• Leftovers and food safety. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety. Accessed Nov. 20, 2022.
• Foods that can cause food poisoning. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foods-linked-illness.html. Accessed Nov. 20, 2022.
• Molds on food: Are they dangerous? Food Safety and Inspection Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/molds-food-are-they-dangerous Accessed Dec. 1, 2022.

News from Mayo Clinic

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips for safer picnics May 24, 2024, 03:00 p.m. CDT
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Does one moldy berry spoil the whole bunch? March 09, 2023, 03:30 p.m. CDT
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Food recalls and sickness July 11, 2022, 04:00 p.m. CDT
• Symptoms & causes
• Diagnosis & treatment

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

• Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Press

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press .

• Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Incontinence
• The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press The Essential Diabetes Book
• Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance
• FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment
• Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book

Double your impact on fighting cancer

Make a gift before July 31 and it can go twice as far to fight cancer.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Entire Site
• Research & Funding
• Health Information
• About NIDDK
• Digestive Diseases
• Food Poisoning
• Definition & Facts
• Español

Definition & Facts of Food Poisoning

On this page:

What is food poisoning?

How common is food poisoning, who is more likely to get food poisoning, what are the complications of food poisoning.

Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is an infection or irritation of your digestive tract that spreads through food or drinks. Viruses , bacteria , and parasites cause most food poisoning. Harmful chemicals may also cause food poisoning.

Food poisoning is most often acute, meaning it happens suddenly and lasts a short time. Most cases of food poisoning last less than a week, and most people get better on their own without treatment. In some cases, food poisoning can last longer or lead to serious complications. 1

Each year, about 48 million people in the United States have food poisoning. Food poisoning causes about 3,000 deaths in the United States each year. 2

Although anyone can get food poisoning, some people are more likely to get food poisoning than others, including

• infants and children
• pregnant women and their fetuses
• older adults
• people with weak immune systems

People in these groups are also more likely to have severe symptoms or complications of food poisoning. Food safety is especially important for people in these groups. Learn more about food safety for people who are more likely to get food poisoning and have complications.

In some cases, food poisoning can lead to dehydration, hemolytic uremic syndrome , or other complications. However, serious complications are uncommon. In most cases, food poisoning lasts only a short time, and most people recover without developing complications.

Dehydration

Dehydration is the most common complication of food poisoning. When food poisoning causes you to vomit or have diarrhea , your body loses fluids and electrolytes . If you don’t replace those fluids and electrolytes, you may become dehydrated. When you are dehydrated, your body doesn’t have enough fluid and electrolytes to work properly. See a list of symptoms of dehydration .

Dehydration is especially dangerous in children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. If you are dehydrated, see a doctor right away to prevent serious health problems. Without treatment, dehydration can lead to problems such as organ damage, shock , coma , or even death.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a kidney  condition that happens when red blood cells are destroyed and block the kidneys’ filtering system. If your kidneys stop working, you have acute kidney injury—the sudden and temporary loss of kidney function.

The most common cause of HUS is infection with a strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterium called E. coli O157:H7 , although other bacteria and viruses may also cause this condition. HUS is most common in children younger than age 5. 3, 4

See a list of symptoms of HUS .

Other complications

In some cases, food poisoning may lead to serious health problems such as

• health problems during pregnancy and pregnancy complications. Some types of food poisoning during pregnancy can cause complications, such as dehydration, for the pregnant woman or can affect the fetus. For example, food poisoning by the bacterium Listeria can cause miscarriage or stillbirth .
• Guillain-Barre syndrome , which may occur after food poisoning caused by bacteria or viruses, most commonly Campylobacter jejuni .
• irritable bowel syndrome , which may occur after food poisoning caused by various bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
• problems breathing due to botulism —a rare type of food poisoning caused by Clostridium botulinum and sometimes by Clostridium butyricum or Clostridium baratii —and some forms of fish and shellfish poisoning, which affect the nervous system and may paralyze the muscles that control your breathing.
• reactive arthritis , which may occur after food poisoning by certain bacteria, viruses, and parasites, including Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella .

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

Food Poisoning Essays

Poverty in poor areas causes food poisoning, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

Food Poisoning - Science topic

• asked a question related to Food Poisoning
• Aug 23, 2023

• Oct 10, 2023
• Food Hazard Perception : Definition : Food hazard perception refers to an individual's ability to recognize and identify potential hazards or risks associated with the consumption of food. It involves assessing whether a food product may contain harmful substances, pathogens, or physical contaminants that could pose a threat to one's health. Factors Considered : When perceiving food hazards, people typically consider factors such as the source of the food (e.g., home-cooked vs. restaurant), the presence of unusual odors, colors, or textures in the food, and any information on the food label or packaging (e.g., expiration date, allergen warnings). Immediate Reaction : Hazard perception often leads to immediate reactions, such as avoiding the consumption of food that is perceived as unsafe. It may involve discarding or returning a product, or simply choosing not to eat something based on perceived hazards.
• Food Risk Perception : Definition : Food risk perception is the subjective assessment individuals make about the likelihood and severity of harm resulting from the consumption of a particular food product or dietary choice. It involves evaluating the level of risk associated with consuming a specific food item or following a particular eating habit. Factors Considered : Risk perception takes into account various factors, including one's personal experiences, beliefs, knowledge, cultural influences, and media exposure. It may also consider the broader context, such as the prevalence of foodborne illnesses or food recalls. Behavioral Response : Risk perception influences behavioral responses related to food choices and consumption. Individuals may adjust their dietary habits, such as avoiding specific foods or adopting precautionary measures (e.g., cooking food thoroughly) based on their perceived level of risk.
• 3 Recommendations

• Oct 6, 2020

• Oct 23, 2020
• 4 Recommendations

• Jul 27, 2019

• Jul 31, 2019
• 0 Recommendations

• Jan 6, 2019

• Jan 9, 2019
• 7 Recommendations

• Feb 7, 2018

• Feb 8, 2018
• 1 Recommendation

• Oct 30, 2017

• Nov 2, 2017
• 18 Recommendations

• Oct 31, 2015

• Nov 7, 2015

• Mar 19, 2015

• Jul 7, 2015
• 5 Recommendations

• Feb 9, 2015

• Feb 16, 2015
• 6 Recommendations

• Dec 25, 2014

• Dec 27, 2014

• Oct 15, 2014

• Oct 17, 2014
• 33 Recommendations

• Jul 16, 2014

• Sep 4, 2014
• Recruit researchers
• Join for free
• Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google Welcome back! Please log in. Email · Hint Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google No account? Sign up

What is food poisoning?

• Download PDF Copy

Food poisoning is a term given to infections with bacteria, parasites, viruses, or toxins from germs that affects humans via contaminated food or water.

The commonest causative organisms are Staphylococcus or E. coli.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 76 million people become ill from food related diseases each year resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.

Diarrhea due to food poisoning kills millions worldwide, especially in developing and under developed nations.

Travellers to developing countries often encounter food poisoning in the form of Traveller’s diarrhea. (1, 2, 3)

Who does food poisoning affect?

Food poisoning may affect a single individual or a group of people who have taken the same tainted food.

It is common in a community, especially at large social functions, restaurants, school cafeterias etc.

Food poisoning is suspected if a minimum of two people are affected and contaminated food or water is identified as the source of the infection. (1, 4)

What foods frequently cause food poisoning?

Common foods that may carry the germs include spoilt meat or poultry, contaminated water, foods that contain mayonnaise, raw or undercooked meat, eggs, fish and oysters and so forth.

Related Stories

• Dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in China's ready-to-eat foods

Faulty food handling during preparation may also be responsible for food poisoning. For example, inadequate hand washing, not washing cooking utensils, inadequate refrigeration of dairy and other products. (1)

Which germs cause food poisoning?

Germs that cause food poisoning may include Campylobacter enteritis, Cholera, E. coli enteritis, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella, Listeria etc.

Who is most vulnerable to food poisoning?

Infants and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning.

Those with suppressed immunity, those with kidney disease or diabetes or those travelling abroad where they are exposed to the germs are also susceptible.

Pregnant and lactating women need to be especially careful about avoiding food poisoning. (1, 2, 3)

Chemical toxins in food

Sometimes food poisoning involves chemical toxins which are produced in certain foods that are improperly stored or under cooked.

Scombroid poisoning occurs due to a large release of histamine chemical from the fish when it is eaten.

This may lead to severe allergic reaction with swelling of the face, itching, shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing. This may lead to death due to choking. (2)

Common symptoms of food poisoning

Food poisoning commonly manifests as pain in the abdomen with cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weakness, fever with chills and tremors, headache etc.

Problems begin within 2 - 6 hours of eating the tainted food or water. This may be longer or shorter depending on the cause of the food poisoning. (1, 2, 5)

Treatment of food poisoning

Treatment involves keeping the patient hydrated with plenty of fluids and water. In most cases the condition resolves by itself.

Some patients may however need antibiotics for therapy.

Prevention of food poisoning is the key and can be achieved by maintaining clean hands, cooking surfaces, washing and cooking foods thoroughly. Drinking only filtered water also helps. (1-7)

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002618/
• http://www.medicinenet.com/food_poisoning/article.htm
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/food_poisoning/article_em.htm
• http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/175569-overview
• http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Food-poisoning/Pages/Introduction.aspx
• https://www.webmd.com/
• https://www.umms.org/

Further Reading

• All Food Poisoning Content
• Food poisoning Causes
• Food poisoning Symptoms
• Food poisoning Diagnosis
• Food poisoning Treatment

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2023

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Dr. Ananya Mandal is a doctor by profession, lecturer by vocation and a medical writer by passion. She specialized in Clinical Pharmacology after her bachelor's (MBBS). For her, health communication is not just writing complicated reviews for professionals but making medical knowledge understandable and available to the general public as well.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

Mandal, Ananya. (2023, June 17). What is food poisoning?. News-Medical. Retrieved on July 12, 2024 from https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-food-poisoning.aspx.

Mandal, Ananya. "What is food poisoning?". News-Medical . 12 July 2024. <https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-food-poisoning.aspx>.

Mandal, Ananya. "What is food poisoning?". News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-food-poisoning.aspx. (accessed July 12, 2024).

Mandal, Ananya. 2023. What is food poisoning? . News-Medical, viewed 12 July 2024, https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-food-poisoning.aspx.

Cancel reply to comment

• Trending Stories
• Latest Interviews
• Top Health Articles

Exploring the benefits of miniaturizing NGS library preparation

In this interview, Huw Rees, a field application scientist at SPT Labtech, discusses the benefits of miniaturization in NGS library preparation and how using mosquito® can give you more value for your money.

Pioneering Live Cell Imaging - Yokogawa's Impact and Innovations

In this interview, NewsMedical speaks with Kevin Jan from Yokogawa about the future of live cell imaging technologies.

Revolutionizing Life Science: An Interview with SCIEX on ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and AI-Driven Quantitation

Jose Castro-Perez and Chris Lock, SCIEX

In our latest interview, News Medical speaks with SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, about their exciting announcements at ASMS, the SCIEX 7500+ System, and how they utilize AI quantitation software to streamline solutions.

Latest News

Newsletters you may be interested in

Your AI Powered Scientific Assistant

Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net.

A few things you need to know before we start. Please read and accept to continue.

• Use of “Azthena” is subject to the terms and conditions of use as set out by OpenAI .
• Content provided on any AZoNetwork sites are subject to the site Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .
• Large Language Models can make mistakes. Consider checking important information.

Great. Ask your question.

Azthena may occasionally provide inaccurate responses. Read the full terms .

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions .

Provide Feedback

Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling

• Condition Basics

What is food poisoning?

Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating foods that have harmful germs in them. These germs are mostly found in raw meat, chicken, fish, and eggs, but they can spread to any type of food. They can also grow on food that's left out on counters or outdoors or is stored too long before you eat it. Sometimes food poisoning happens when people don't wash their hands before they touch food.

Most of the time, food poisoning is mild and goes away after a few days. All you can do is wait for your body to get rid of the germ that's causing the illness. But some types of food poisoning may be more serious, and you may need to see a doctor.

What causes it?

Food poisoning is caused by eating or drinking food contaminated by harmful germs, such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Harmful germs may get into food when it's prepared or processed or when it's washed with contaminated water.

What are the symptoms?

The first symptom of food poisoning is usually diarrhea. You may also feel sick to your stomach, vomit, or have stomach cramps. Some food poisoning can cause a high fever and blood in your stool. If you vomit or have diarrhea a lot, you can get dehydrated .

How is it diagnosed?

If you go to the doctor, you will be asked about your symptoms and general health. You'll get a physical exam. Your doctor will ask where you've been eating and whether anyone who ate the same foods is also sick. Sometimes the doctor will take stool or blood samples to be tested.

How is food poisoning treated?

Treatment for food poisoning focuses on managing symptoms, like vomiting and diarrhea. You'll need to rest and get plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration . Diarrhea medicines may help, but they shouldn't be used for children or people with a high fever or bloody diarrhea. For severe dehydration, you may need treatment in the hospital.

How can you prevent it?

You can prevent most cases of food poisoning with simple steps. For example, wash your hands before touching foods. Separate raw meat from other foods, and make sure meats are cooked well. Refrigerate leftovers right away.

Food poisoning is caused by eating or drinking food contaminated by harmful germs, such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses.

Germs can get into food:

Bacteria live in the intestines of healthy animals used for food. Sometimes the bacteria get mixed up with the parts of those animals that we eat.

If the water that's used to irrigate or wash fresh fruits and vegetables has germs from animal manure or human sewage in it, those germs can get on the fruits and vegetables.

When there are germs on the hands of someone who touches the food, or if the food touches other food that has germs on it, the germs can spread. Germs from raw meat can get onto vegetables if you use the same cutting board for both, for example. Home-canned foods that haven't been prepared properly may contain germs.

• Salmonellosis
• Food Poisoning: Vibrio Vulnificus
• E. Coli Infection From Food or Water
• Food Poisoning: Clostridium Perfringens
• Hepatitis A
• Food Poisoning: Toxoplasmosis
• Listeriosis
• Campylobacteriosis
• Marine Toxins
• Shigellosis
• Noroviruses (Norwalk Viruses)
• Staph Food Poisoning

You can prevent most cases of food poisoning by being careful when you prepare and store food.

The following steps can help prevent food poisoning.

Don't buy canned foods that are dented, leaking, or bulging. Get your refrigerated and frozen foods at the end of your shopping trip. Bag raw meat, poultry, and fish separately from other food items. And try to go straight home after you shop, so you can store food properly.

Wash your hands before and after handling food. Wash cutting boards with hot soapy water. Wash fruits and vegetables, but don't wash raw meat. Follow procedures for safe home canning to avoid contamination.

Cook, refrigerate, or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and ready-to-eat foods within 2 hours. Make sure your refrigerator is set at 40°F (4°C) or colder.

Keep raw meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and shellfish away from other foods, surfaces, utensils, and serving plates.

Thaw these foods in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. And cook food right away after thawing.

Do not eat raw or partially cooked eggs (including cookie dough), raw (unpasteurized) milk, cheeses made with raw milk, or unpasteurized juices.

Use a clean meat thermometer to make sure that foods are cooked to a safe temperature. Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F (74°C) . Don't eat undercooked hamburger. Bring sauces, gravies, and soups to a boil when reheating. And be aware of the risk of food poisoning from raw fish (including sushi), clams, and oysters.

Keep cooked hot foods hot [ 140°F (60°C) or above] and cold foods cold [ 40°F (4°C) or below]. And chill leftovers as soon as you finish eating.

These labels provide information about when to use the food and how to store it.

If you aren't sure if a food is safe, don't eat it. Reheating food that is contaminated won't make it safe. Don't taste suspicious food. It may smell and look fine. But it still may not be safe to eat.

• Note the general cleanliness of the facility and staff. If you aren't confident that conditions are sanitary, leave.
• Find out the inspection scores of selected restaurants. (They are sometimes posted in the restaurant.) Restaurants are inspected by the local health department for cleanliness and proper kitchen procedures.
• Food Safety: Preparing
• Hand-Washing
• Food Safety: Tips for Grocery Shopping
• Food Safety: Cooking
• Food Safety: Storing

The first symptom of food poisoning is usually diarrhea. You may also feel sick to your stomach, vomit, or have stomach cramps. Some food poisoning can cause a high fever and blood in your stool.

If you vomit or have diarrhea a lot, you can get dehydrated . This means that your body has lost too much fluid.

Some types of food poisoning have different or more severe symptoms. These can include weakness, numbness, confusion, or tingling of the face, hands, and feet.

How you feel when you have food poisoning mostly depends on how healthy you are and what germ is making you sick.

For very young and very old people, symptoms may last longer. Even the types of food poisoning that are typically mild can be life-threatening. This may also be true for people who are pregnant or who have weak immune systems , such as those who have long-lasting (chronic) illnesses.

• What Happens

You may become ill with food poisoning after you eat food that contains bacteria, viruses, or other harmful germs.

After you eat a contaminated food, you may notice symptoms after a few hours or days. The harmful germs pass through the stomach into the intestine and start to multiply. Some organisms stay in the intestine. Some produce a toxin that is absorbed into the bloodstream. And others infect body tissues. Your symptoms depend on the type of germ that has infected you.

Diarrhea and vomiting are a normal response as the body tries to rid itself of harmful germs.

Most of the time, food poisoning is mild and passes in a few days. But the symptoms of some types of food poisoning may be more severe. In rare cases, food poisoning can cause kidney or joint damage.

• When to Call a Doctor

Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if:

• You have sudden, severe belly pain.
• You have signs of severe dehydration. These include little or no urine; sunken eyes, no tears, and a dry mouth and tongue; fast breathing and heartbeat; feeling very dizzy or lightheaded; and not feeling or acting alert.
• You think you may have food poisoning from a canned food and you have symptoms of botulism (blurred or double vision, trouble swallowing or breathing, and muscle weakness).

Call your doctor now if:

• You have severe diarrhea (large amounts of loose stool every 1 to 2 hours) that lasts longer than 2 days if you are an adult.
• You have vomiting that lasts longer than 1 day if you are an adult.
• You are pregnant and believe that you have been exposed to listeriosis or toxoplasmosis .

Talk to your doctor if:

• You have symptoms of mild dehydration (dry mouth or passing only a little urine) that get worse even with home treatment.
• You have a fever.
• You aren't feeling better after 1 week of home treatment.

If you think you have eaten contaminated food, call your local Poison Control Center. They can answer questions and tell you what to do next.

Watchful waiting

Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach.

Watchful waiting may be okay if you have diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other symptoms of a stomach infection ( gastroenteritis ). Most people recover from these gastrointestinal illnesses at home in several days without medical treatment. Likewise, some cases of bacterial food poisoning are mild and pass in several days.

Check your symptoms

• Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
• Exams and Tests

Most people don't go to the doctor to get diagnosed. That's because most food poisoning is mild and goes away after a few days. You can usually assume that you have food poisoning if others who ate the same food also got sick.

If you go to the doctor, you'll be asked about your symptoms and health and get a physical exam. Your doctor will ask where you've been eating and whether anyone who ate the same foods is also sick. Sometimes the doctor will take stool or blood samples to be tested.

If you think you have food poisoning, call your local health department to report it. This could help keep others from getting sick.

• Stool Culture
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Treatment Overview

Treatment for food poisoning focuses on managing symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. You'll need to rest and get plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration . The goal of treatment is to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through vomiting and diarrhea.

If dehydration is severe and can't be managed at home, you may need treatment in the hospital. Fluids and electrolytes may be given to you through a needle in your vein.

Medicines that stop diarrhea (such as Imodium) can help with your symptoms. But these medicines shouldn't be used for children or for people with a high fever or bloody diarrhea. Antibiotics are rarely used. They're only given for certain types of food poisoning or in severe cases.

In most cases, food poisoning goes away on its own in a few days.

Most cases of food poisoning will go away in a few days with rest and care at home. Dehydration is the most frequent complication of food poisoning. Older persons and children should take special precautions to prevent it.

The following information will help you recover.

Choose water and other clear liquids until you feel better. You can take frequent sips of a rehydration drink (such as Pedialyte) to prevent dehydration.

Sports drinks, soda pop, and fruit juices contain too much sugar and not enough of the important electrolytes that are lost during diarrhea. These kinds of drinks shouldn't be used to rehydrate.

When you feel like eating again, start out with small amounts of food. This will help you to get enough nutrition.

Caring for your child

Dehydration is the most frequent problem caused by food poisoning. Be extra careful to prevent dehydration in children .

For children who are breastfed or bottle-fed, keep giving the regular breast milk or formula feeding as much as possible. You may have to feed more often to replace lost fluids. Give an oral rehydration solution (ORS), such as Pedialyte, between feedings only if you see signs of dehydration.

For older children, give them sips of water or a rehydration drink often. And offer small amounts of food when they feel like eating again.

• Dehydration
• Related Information
• Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger
• Diarrhea, Age 12 and Older
• Gastroenteritis in Adults and Older Children

Current as of: June 12, 2023

Author: Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Next Section:

Previous Section:

Author: Healthwise Staff

Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Topic Contents

PeaceHealth endeavors to provide comprehensive health care information, however some topics in this database describe services and procedures not offered by our providers or within our facilities because they do not comply with, nor are they condoned by, the ethics policies of our organization.

Health Information Library

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Learn how we develop our content .

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org .

© 1995-2024 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Recalls & Outbreaks
• Food Safety Charts
• Cold Food Storage
• Food Safety During Power Outage
• Meat and Poultry
• Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures
• Keep Food Safe
• 4 Simple Steps
• Food Safety by Events and Seasons
• Food Safety by Type of Food
• Food Safety in a Disaster or Emergency
• FoodKeeper App
• Food Poisoning
• Bacteria and Viruses
• Report a Problem with Food
• People At Risk
• Children Under Five
• Older Adults
• People with Weakened Immune Systems
• Pregnant Women

Key Facts about Food Poisoning

What You Need to Know

• Symptoms of food poisoning  often include diarrhea, vomiting, upset stomach, or nausea.
• Anyone can get food poisoning, but some groups of people are more likely to get sick and to have a more serious illness.
• Infographic:  Food Poisoning: Protect Yourself and Your Family [PDF – 1 page]

View Transcript

Every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases.

4 Steps to Prevent Food Poisoning

• Wash your hands and work surfaces before, during, and after preparing food. Germs can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops.
• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from ready-to-eat foods. Use separate cutting boards and keep raw meat away from other foods in your shopping cart and refrigerator.
• Cook food to the  right internal temperature  to kill harmful bacteria. Use a food thermometer.
• Keep your refrigerator 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (or within 1 hour if food is exposed to a temperature above 90°F, like in a hot car).

Some People Are at Higher Risk

Anyone can get food poisoning, but some groups of people are more likely to get sick and have a more serious illness. Their ability to fight germs and sickness may not be as effective. These groups include:

• Adults aged 65 and older
• Children younger than age 5
• People whose immune systems are weakened by health conditions or medicine used to treat them, including people with diabetes, liver or kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, or cancer
• Pregnant people

Learn more  about why these groups are more likely to get sick from germs like  Salmonella ,  Campylobacter ,  Listeria , and  E. coli .

People who are more likely to get food poisoning should not eat:

• Undercooked or raw food from animals (such as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, or seafood)
• Raw or lightly cooked sprouts
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk and juices
• Soft cheese (such as queso fresco), unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk

5 Symptoms of Severe Food Poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning  often include diarrhea, vomiting, upset stomach, or nausea.

Call your healthcare provider if you have severe symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving
• Bloody diarrhea
• So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down, which can lead to dehydration
• Dehydration, which causes symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up, and not urinating (peeing) much

ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

Essay: FOOD POISONING

Essay details and download:.

• Subject area(s): Health essays
• Reading time: 13 minutes
• Price: Free download
• Published: 6 November 2016*
• File format: Text
• Words: 3,816 (approx)
• Number of pages: 16 (approx)

Text preview of this essay:

This page of the essay has 3,816 words. Download the full version above.

  Chapter 1: Introduction Foodborne illness better known as food poisoning, is illness caused by variety of agents which may be intrinsic that include certain foods which are toxic in themselves, or extrinsic causes include chemicals, parasite and micro-organisms. (Corry, Roberts and Skinner, 1982). Bacteria, viruses and parasites are infectious organisms and their toxins are the most common cause of foodborne illness Some organisms cause an intoxication by the bacteria due to the toxins production in the foods before its consumption, often stimulated by the storage conditions of the foods which allow multiplication of the bacteria. Other bacteria cause infection that cause the disease after consumption where the toxins are multiply and elaborate in the intestine. (Mayoclinic.org). Food should be attractive and nourishing. It has to be visibly clean and it has to be also free from harmful materials. These harmful materials may be poisonous, even those that are harmless in small amounts, but in large quantity they are damaging and harmful. They may accidently enter the food during growth, preparation, cultivation, or other different ways. Micro-organisms may directly introduce from infected food animals or from workers or even environment. During the production of food, contamination can occur at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. This result in Cross contamination and the harmful organisms are transferred from one surface to another. This is especially troublesome for raw foods such as salads or other that have been produced or grown, especially by farming. Because these foods aren’t cooked, harmful organisms aren’t destroyed before eating and can cause food poisoning (Mayoclinic.org). Food poisoning is not a new disease, it has been recognized throughout the ages which is characterized usually by vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pains. (Hobbs and Roberts, 1987). Investigation of the food poisoning is done by the following ways: • Secure complete list of the people involved and their history • Laboratory investigation • Animal experiments • Blood for the antibodies • Environmental study • Analysis data due to time, place and person • A case control study To avoid food poisoning we should: • Check • Clean • Separate • Cook • Chill • Throw away   Chapter 2: Bacterial food poisoning The most prevalent cause of food poisoning is bacteria by far. So what are bacteria? Bacteria are tiny living microorganisms, a few micrometers in length that normally exist together in huge amount and can be found everywhere (Medical News Today), like for example: soil, water, plants and animals. And they come in three main shapes: 1- Spherical —like a ball— (cocci) 2- Rod shaped (bacilli) 3- Spiral (spirilla)   Growth and multiplication Bacteria can multiply under the suitable conditions of temperature and environment into two every 20 or 30 minutes by simple division. when each cell has grown to its maximum size, a constriction appears at both sides of the center axis, the outside membrane or envelope of the cell grows inwards and forms a division which finally splits, releasing two new twin cells (Hobbs and Roberts, 1987). Condition for growth A variety of media in the laboratory are made to suit the growth requirements of different types of bacteria. Agar is more suitable for bacterial media because of its special properties; it melts at a high temperature and sets at a low temperature. Blood, serum milk, or other protein matter may be added for enrichment. Bacteria will multiply and live in many foodstuffs; sometimes the humidity of the kitchen and the type of food and the atmospheric temperature provide similar conditions to those used in the laboratory for cultivation. Thus food poisoning more frequently occurs in the warmth of summer than in the cold of winter (Hobbs and Roberts, 1987). Most bacteria require air to live and they are called aerobes, but some can survive only in the absence of oxygen and called anaerobes. Some of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. (Design) Name of bacteria Original source Risky foods Time to develop Symptoms Campylobacter jejuni Raw meat and poultry Undercooked meat a poultry; raw milk and cross-contaminated food 3-5 days of eating infected food Fever, sever pain and diarrhea Clostridium botulinum (very rare) Soil Faulty processed canned meat and vegetables; cured meat and raw fish 1-7 days Affects vision, cause paralysis and can be fatal Clostridium perfringens The environment Large joints of meat; reheated gravies 8-24 hours Nausea, pain and diarrhea Escherichia coli E.coli O157:H7 is a very nasty strain it can be fatal The gut of all humans and animals Contaminated water, milk, inadequately cooked meat, cross-contaminated foods 3-4 days Inflammation, sickness and diarrhea Listeria monocytogenes Everywhere Soft cheese, pre-packed salad; cook-chill products Varies Fever, headache, septicemia and meningitis Salmonella Gut of birds and mammals including humans – spread by faeces into water and food Poultry, eggs and raw egg products, vegetables 6-48 hours Diarrhea, sickness and headache Staphylococcus aureus The skin and noses of animals and humans Cured meat; milk products; unrefrigerated handled foods 2-6 hours Sickness, pain and sometimes diarrhea Paying closer attention to five of the most common types of bacteria which cause food poisoning: Campylobacter, Salmonella, clostridium perfringens Listeria and E. coli 0157. Campylobacter Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial food poisoning, caused by a campylobacter jejuni and cause the disease called campylobacteriosis (MedicineNet). Source of Campylobacter Normally inhabit and detected in the intestinal tract of warm blooded animals and in foods derived from them. It has been found mainly in poultry, red meat, unpasteurized milk and untreated water. Although it doesn’t grow in food it spreads easily, so only a few bacteria in a piece of undercooked chicken could cause illness (Ltd). Symptoms Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get: diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody. The illness typically lasts about one week. Some infected persons do not have any symptoms. In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection. Treatment Treatment is not usually required, but an electrolyte replacement and rehydration are done. In the invasive cases the antimicrobial treatment is recommended (erythromycin, tetracycline, quinolones). Salmonella Salmonella is the second most common cause of food poisoning after campylobacter. People infected with salmonella should be careful with personal hygiene because they could infect another person who comes into direct contact with them (InjuryClaimCoach.com). Sources of Salmonella It has been found mainly in: – unpasteurized milk – chicken – Eggs and raw egg products – Meat – Poultry – pork Salmonella bacteria or its toxins can survive if food is (cooked or refrigerated) improperly, or by cross-contamination, Salmonella quickly spreads when already infected food comes in contact with uncontaminated food. Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning normally last from 24 to 48 hours Clostridium Perfringens Clostridium perfringens are bacteria that produce harmful toxins and are found everywhere in the environment, these bacteria isn’t completely destroyed by cooking because it produces heat-resistant spores, not like other types of bacteria that cause food poisoning. Food poisoning from Clostridium perfringens fairly common, but is typically not too severe, and is often mistaken for the 24-hour flu. (Foodborneillness.com) Source of Clostridium perfringens Undercooked meats, mostly foods prepared for large group in large quantities and left to sit out for long periods of time and foods with poorly controlled temperature that kept between 70 and 140 F, are the majority of outbreaks. Meat products such as stews, casseroles, and gravy are the most common sources of illness from C. perfringens. Symptoms of Clostridium Perfringens Infection About 6-24 hours after ingestion and consuming the bacteria or toxins, the symptoms start to appear. Clostridium perfringens toxins cause: – Abdominal pain – Stomach cramps – Diarrhea – Nausea Fever and vomiting are not normally symptoms of poisoning by Clostridium perfringens toxins. Illness from Clostridium perfringens is rarely fatal and generally lasts around 24 hours, Complication from Clostridium perfringens The Type C strain of Clostridium perfringens can cause a more serious condition called Pig-bel Syndrome. This syndrome can cause death of intestinal cells and can often be fatal. Preventing a Clostridium Perfringens Infection To prevent infection by Clostridium perfringens, follow these tips: • Cook foods containing meat thoroughly • If keeping foods out, make sure they maintain a temperature of 140 F (60 C) • When storing food in the refrigerator, divide it into pieces with a thickness of three inches or less so that it cools faster • Reheat foods to at least 165 F (74 C) Listeria Listeria is the name of a bacteria has been found in low amount in foods. Eating foods containing higher levels of this bacteria causes the disease. And usually it’s sever and life threatening in vulnerable groups as pregnant women, babies, elderly and immunodeficiency people (Taylor and Francis, 2007). unlike many other germs it can grow even in cold temperature of the refrigerator. Symptoms of Listeriosis Usually people with listeriosis have fever and muscle aches, sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms and diarrhea. When patients are diagnosed with listeriosis they mostly have it as invasive infection, as the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms vary from person to person: – Pregnant women: experience typically fever, fatigue and aches and other non-specific symptoms. During pregnancy infection can lead to premature delivery or life-threatening infection of newborn (Taylor and Francis, 2007) (Jackson KA, Iwamoto M, Swerdlow D, 2010). – People other than pregnant women: symptoms can include stiff neck, loss of balance, headache, confusion, fever and muscle aches.   Escherichia coli Escherichia coli is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae. It’s a gram-negative bacillus growing aerobically and anaerobically at 37˚C, killed by high temperatures above 55˚C. It is found commonly in the intestine of human and animal (Hobbs and Roberts, 1987). It’s normally found in undercooked and raw meat. Although, most strains of these bacteria are harmless, several are known to produce toxins that can cause diarrhea. One particular E.coli strain called 0157 can cause severe diarrhea and kidney damage. Symptoms Symptoms last from 7 to 10 days, and can include: – bloody diarrhea – Vomiting – kidney failure (in some cases) Treatment Treatment for E.coli includes antibiotics. Chapter 3: Parasite food poisoning Parasites are organisms that cannot live independently, they live and depends in another organism called host. (Medical News Today) Food poisoning caused by parasites is not as common as food poisoning caused by bacteria, but parasites spread through food are still very dangerous. Parasites can live in your digestive tract undetected for years. However, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women risk serious side effects if parasites take up residence in their intestines. They can be transmitted from one host to another through consumption of contaminated foods. Around 70% of parasites are microscopic in size, however some worm parasites can reach over 30 m in length. There are more than 1,000 known parasite species that can infect humans. Here are some examples: • Endoparasite: live inside the host and are called intercellular parasites, it includes: heartworm, tapeworm, and flatworms. • Epiparasite: feed on other parasites and this relationship called hyperparasitism. • Parasitoid: usually the host dies because of the characteristics of predation. Some of the most common parasites that causes foodborne illness are as following: Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis and Toxoplasma gondii   Giardia duodenalis Giardia duodenalis is a species of Giardia that causes diarrhea in vertebrates. There are two developmental stages of the parasite: trophozoites and cysts. Group Synonyms Host range Trophozoite size G. duodenalis G. intestinalis, G. lamblia mammals (including man), birds, reptiles 12-15 x 6-8 µm Flagellated trophozoites are found in the small intestines of the hosts swimming in the luminal and adhering to the gut mucosal surface with their ventral adhesive discs. The infections interfere with the normal absorptive functioning of the small intestines, causing osmotic overload of the large intestines resulting in watery diarrhea. Infections occurs by fecal-oral route of encysted parasite and may be detected by routine examination like the stained smears or sedimentation/flotation concentration techniques, but the test sensitivity is poor due to intermittent cyst excretion. Endoscopic techniques have been used in chronic cases to detect trophozoites in intestinal biopsy. Recently, sensitive and specific techniques in immunology have been developed to detect antigens of parasites in fecal. Similar monoclonal antibody immunoreagents are also used in many countries to detect cysts in water samples using immuno-magnetic separation techniques. (Parasite.org.au) Treatment: Flagyl (metronidazole) is the drug of choice for giardiasis despite mild side-effects such as nausea. However, there are growing problems with metronidazole-resistant parasite strains. Other nitroimidazole derivatives (tinidazole), nitrofurans (furazolidone), acridine drugs (quinacrine) and microtubule inhibitor anthelmintics (albendazole) have been reported effective. Toxoplasma gondii Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasitic organism that can infect most animals and birds, it reproduces only in cats and causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis. (Cdc.gov) A Toxoplasma infection occurs by the following: • blood transfusion or organ transplantation. • consuming undercooked, infected meat. • mother-to-child transmission. • Accidentally swallowing the parasite through contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. This might happen by: 1. cleaning a cat’s litter box when the cat has shed Toxoplasma in its feces 2. touching or ingesting anything that has come into contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma 3. accidentally ingesting contaminated soil (e.g., not washing hands after gardening or eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden) symptoms symptoms of Toxoplasmosis vary. Usually it is asymptomatic, because our immune system keeps the parasite from causing illness. 10–20 % of patients have an acute toxoplasmosis and develop symptoms that last for several weeks and then go away. The parasites remain in the body as bradyzoites tissue cysts and reactive when the person becomes immunosuppressed. (Parasitesinhumans.org) Diagnosis Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is often difficult because the symptoms are similar to the flu symptoms. To test for infection in pregnant women, a doctor may conduct a blood test. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that tests be sent to a laboratory specializing in toxoplasmosis diagnosis. Severe cases of toxoplasmosis in adults may be diagnosed using an MRI or a brain biopsy to check for lesions or cysts in the brain. Treatment Healthy people do not require treatment for toxoplasmosis. However, otherwise-healthy individuals who experience severe symptoms of the disease can be treated with drugs, including Daraprim, an antimalarial drug, or Sulfadiazine, an antibiotic. The same drugs can be used to treat those with compromised immune systems. In extreme circumstances, these drugs can be administered to unborn babies to prevent further development of the infection, but cannot undo damage that has already occurred. If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with toxoplasmosis, she may be given Spiramycin, an antibiotic, to reduce the chance the infection will spread to the child. (Cdc.gov)   Chapter 4: Viral food poisoning Virus is a Latin name that means poisoning. It is an infectious microscopic organism that can multiply in living cells only of animals, bacteria or plants (Encyclopedia Britannica). It consists of genetic material RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein, lipid, or glycoprotein coat. virus can also cause a foodborne disease and in rare cases it can be fatal. The Norovirus, also known as the Norwalk virus, causes over 19 million cases of food poisoning each year, and in rare cases, it can be fatal. Sapovirus, Rotavirus, and Astrovirus bring on similar symptoms, but they’re less common. Hepatitis A virus is a serious condition that can be transmitted through food. Norwalk virus Norwalk virus also called norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis which is the infection of the stomach and intestine, and it is often called stomach flu. It can spread directly from infected people to others, or through food and drinks that have been contaminate before served. (Foodsafety.gov, 2016) Sources Produce, shellfish, ready-to-eat foods touched by infected food workers (salads, sandwiches, ice, cookies, fruit), or any other foods contaminated with vomit or feces from an infected person Incubation Period 12-48 hours Symptoms Diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Diarrhea tends to be watery and non-bloody. Diarrhea is more common in adults and vomiting is more common in children Duration of Illness 1-3 days. Among young children, old adults, and hospitalized patients, it can last 4-6 days. What Do I Do? Drink plenty of fluids and get rest. If you cannot drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration, call your doctor. How Do I Prevent It? • Wash hands frequently with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after using the bathroom and before preparing food. • If you work in a restaurant or deli, avoid bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. • Clean and disinfect surfaces contaminated by vomiting or diarrhea (use a bleach-based household cleaner as directed on the label). Clean and disinfect food preparation equipment and surfaces. • If you are ill with diarrhea or vomiting, do not cook, prepare, or serve food for others. • Wash fruits and vegetables and cook oysters and other shellfish thoroughly before eating them. • Wash clothing or linens soiled by vomit or fecal matter immediately. Remove the items carefully to avoid spreading the virus. Machine wash and dry. Diagnosis Norovirus infection can be detected via the following studies: • Immune electron microscopy: Immune serum is used to aggregate virus in stool samples to aid detection • Antigen detection immunoassay: Has high sensitivity but low specificity because of reactivity with antigenic variants and homologous viruses • Nucleic acid amplification: Highly sensitive and specific (Tian and Mandrell, 2006) Treatment Treatment of norovirus gastroenteritis includes the following: • Oral fluid and electrolyte replacement: Generally adequate for the treatment of norovirus infections • Intravenous fluid and electrolyte resuscitation: May be necessary in cases of severe volume depletion • Antiemetics: For relief of nausea and vomiting • Analgesics: For relief of myalgias and headache • Antiperistaltic agents: Should generally be avoided in cases of infectious diarrhea but can be considered in patients with severe diarrhea (Emedicine.medscape.com) Hepatitis A virus Hepatitis A virus cause a highly contagious liver infection. This virus is one type of hepatitis viruses that affect the ability of liver to function and cause inflammation. You are most likely to get infected from contaminated food, water or from close contact with infected person. (Mayoclinic.org) Symptoms Hepatitis A signs and symptoms appear a few weeks after you have had the virus, and may include the following: •Fatigue •Nausea and vomiting •Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of your liver on your right side beneath your lower ribs •Clay-colored bowel movements •Loss of appetite •Low-grade fever •Dark urine •Joint pain •Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) Hepatitis A could be asymptomatic with no signs and symptoms developed, or could be mild illness that lasts a few weeks or a severe illness that lasts several months. Risk factors You’re at increased risk of hepatitis A if you: •Travel or work in regions with high rates of hepatitis A •Attend child care or work in a child care center •Are a man who has sexual contact with other men •Are HIV positive •Have a clotting-factor disorder, such as hemophilia •Use injected or noninjected illicit drugs •Live with another person who has hepatitis A •Have oral-anal contact with someone who has hepatitis A Complications Unlike other types of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A does not cause long-term liver damage, and it doesn’t become chronic. In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause loss of liver function that occurs suddenly, especially in older adults or people with chronic liver diseases. Acute liver failure requires hospitalization for monitoring and treatment. Some people with acute liver failure may require a liver transplant. Tests and diagnosis Blood tests are used to detect the presence of hepatitis A in your body. A sample of blood is taken, usually from a vein in your arm, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing for the presence of IgM antibodies is ordered when someone develop acute symptoms. (Labtestsonline.org) What does the test result mean? Results of hepatitis testing may indicate the following: HAV IgM HAV IgG or Total Antibody (IgM and IgG) Results Indicate Positive Not Performed Acute or recent HAV infection Negative Positive No active infection but previous HAV exposure; has developed immunity to HAV or recently vaccinated for HAV Not Performed Positive Has been exposed to HAV but does not rule out acute infection Not Performed Negative No current or previous HAV infection; vaccine may be recommended if at risk Conclusion Food poisoning is a health problem affects human at different ages all over the world. The clinical course is variable could be self-limiting symptoms or very serious disease with complication. However, the uses of control measurement to prevent the occurrence of food poisoning are important to limit its spread and improve food safety. Referencing: • Corry, J., Roberts, D. and Skinner, F. (1982). Isolation and identification methods for food poisoning organisms. London: Academic Press. • Medical News Today. (2016). What Is Bacteria? What Are Bacteria?. [online] Available at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157973.php [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. • Design, i. (2016). Microbiology Online | Microbiology Society | About Microbiology – Microbes and food – Food poisoning. [online] Microbiologyonline.org.uk. Available at: http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/microbes-and-food/food-poisoning [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. • Ltd, A. (2016). Food Poisoning Bacteria – Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli 0157, Campylobacter. [online] Accepta.com. Available at: http://www.accepta.com/environmental-water-wastewater-knowledge/pathogen-control-knowledge/297-food-poisoning-bacteria-salmonella-listeria-e-coli-0157-campylobacter [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. • InjuryClaimCoach.com. (2016). Food Contamination and Poisoning Claims. [online] Available at: http://www.injuryclaimcoach.com/food-poisoning.html [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. • Foodborneillness.com. (2016). Clostridium Perfringens food poisoning. [online] Available at: http://www.foodborneillness.com/clostridium_perfringens_food_poisoning/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016]. • (Painter J & Slutsker L. Listeriosis in humans. In: E. T. Ryser & E. H. Marth., editor. Listeria, Listeriosis and Food Safety 3rd ed Boca Raton, Florida: Taylor and Francis Group; 2007. p. 85-110.) • 4.Jackson KA, Iwamoto M, Swerdlow D. Pregnancy-associated listeriosis. Epidemiology and infection. 2010;138(10):1503-9.) • MedicineNet. (2016). Food poisoning, Campylobacter. [online] Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16203 [Accessed 20 Mar. 2016]. • Hobbs, B. and Roberts, D. (1987). Food poisoning and food hygiene. London: E. Arnold. • Mayoclinic.org. (2016). Welcome – About This Site – Mayo Clinic. [online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-this-site/welcome [Accessed 21 Mar. 2016]. • Medical News Today. (2016). What is a Parasite? What do Parasites do?. [online] Available at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/220302.php [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016]. • Parasite.org.au. (2016). Giardia. [online] Available at: http://parasite.org.au/para-site/text/giardia-text.html [Accessed 1 Apr. 2016]. • Cdc.gov. (2016). CDC – Toxoplasmosis – General Information – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). [online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/gen_info/faqs.html [Accessed 1 Apr. 2016]. • Parasitesinhumans.org. (2016). Toxoplasma Gondii. [online] Available at: http://www.parasitesinhumans.org/toxoplasma-gondii.html [Accessed 1 Apr. 2016]. • Encyclopedia Britannica. (2016). virus | biology. [online] Available at: http://global.britannica.com/science/virus [Accessed 8 Apr. 2016]. • Foodsafety.gov. (2016). Norovirus (Norwalk Virus) | FoodSafety.gov. [online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/norovirus/index.html [Accessed 8 Apr. 2016]. • Emedicine.medscape.com. (2016). Norovirus Treatment & Management: Medical Care, Consultations, Diet. [online] Available at: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/224225-treatment [Accessed 11 Apr. 2016]. • Tian, P. and Mandrell, R. (2006). Detection of norovirus capsid proteins in faecal and food samples by a real time immuno-PCR method. J Appl Microbiol, 100(3), pp.564-574. • Mayoclinic.org. (2016). Hepatitis A Prevention – Mayo Clinic. [online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-a/basics/prevention/con-20022163 [Accessed 11 Apr. 2016]. • Labtestsonline.org. (2016). Hepatitis A Testing: The Test. [online] Available at: https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-a/tab/test/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2016].

...(download the rest of the essay above)

About this essay:

If you use part of this page in your own work, you need to provide a citation, as follows:

Essay Sauce, FOOD POISONING . Available from:<https://www.essaysauce.com/health-essays/food-poisoning/> [Accessed 12-07-24].

These Health essays have been submitted to us by students in order to help you with your studies.

* This essay may have been previously published on Essay.uk.com at an earlier date.

Essay Categories:

• Accounting essays
• Architecture essays
• Business essays
• Computer science essays
• Criminology essays
• Economics essays
• Education essays
• Engineering essays
• English language essays
• Environmental studies essays
• Essay examples
• Finance essays
• Geography essays
• Health essays
• History essays
• Hospitality and tourism essays
• Human rights essays
• Information technology essays
• International relations
• Leadership essays
• Linguistics essays
• Literature essays
• Management essays
• Marketing essays
• Mathematics essays
• Media essays
• Medicine essays
• Military essays
• Miscellaneous essays
• Music Essays
• Nursing essays
• Philosophy essays
• Photography and arts essays
• Politics essays
• Project management essays
• Psychology essays
• Religious studies and theology essays
• Sample essays
• Science essays
• Social work essays
• Sociology essays
• Sports essays
• Types of essay
• Zoology essays

Home / Essay Samples / Science / Poison / Food Poisoning: Symptoms And Treatment

Food Poisoning: Symptoms And Treatment

• Category: Food , Science , Health
• Topic: Food Safety , Poison , Public Health

Pages: 1 (483 words)

Views: 2467

• Downloads: -->
• Water or bloody diarrheal
• Abdominal pain or cramps.

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

Old Age Essays

Sleep Essays

Universal Health Care Essays

Physical Exercise Essays

Digestive System Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service  and  Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->