Food poisoning- Symptoms and causes

Food poisoning, also called food borne illness, is illness caused by eating contaminated food. Infectious organisms — including bacteria, viruses and parasites — or their toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning.

Infectious organisms or their toxins can contaminate food at any point of processing or production. Contamination can also occur at home if food is incorrectly handled or cooked.

Symptoms

Food poisoning symptoms, which can start within hours of eating contaminated food, often include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Most often, food poisoning is mild and resolves without treatment. But some people need to go to the hospital.

Food poisoning symptoms vary with the source of contamination. Most types of food poisoning cause one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Watery or bloody diarrhea
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Fever

Signs and symptoms may start within hours after eating the contaminated food, or they may begin days or even weeks later. Sickness caused by food poisoning generally lasts from a few hours to several days.

Causes

Contamination of food can happen at any point of production: growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. Cross-contamination — the transfer of harmful organisms from one surface to another — is often the cause. This is especially troublesome for raw, ready-to-eat foods, such as salads or other produce. Because these foods aren't cooked, harmful organisms aren't destroyed before eating and can cause food poisoning.

Many bacterial, viral or parasitic agents cause food poisoning. 

Prevention

To prevent food poisoning at home:

• Wash your hands, utensils and food surfaces often. 
•  Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods. 
•  Cook foods to a safe temperature:
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly 
• Defrost food safely. 
•  Throw it out when in doubt. 

 Food poisoning is especially serious and potentially life-threatening for young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. These individuals should take extra precautions by avoiding the following foods:

• Raw or rare meat and poultry
• Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including oysters, clams, mussels and scallops
• 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

Journal of Food and Clinical Nutrition is a peer reviewed open access journal. Interested can submit their manuscript through online portal. Submit manuscript at https://www.pulsus.com/submissions/food-clinical-nutrition.html or through mail at foodclinnutri@eclinjournals.com. For membership contact:

Media contact:

Maegan Smith           

Managing Editor

Journal of Food and Clinical Nutrition 

Mail ID: clinicalnutrition@emedicalsci.org

Whatsapp no: + 1-504-608-2390