Everything You Need to Know About Food Poisoning

Many kinds of meats, seafood, and poultry can make you sick if they are eaten raw or undercooked. Sometimes sickness following the consumption of these foods may be as mild as a stomach ache. But if you develop food poisoning as a result it can be much more serious, and could even endanger your health. Learn about some of the different types of bacteria that cause food poisoning and how they affect your body. Here are some tips on preventing the spread of food poisoning at home and ways to avoid it when eating in public.

How Does Food Poisoning Occur?
Food poisoning occurs in one way only; by consuming food that contains dangerous bacteria, parasites, and other dangerous living organisms. Raw and undercooked foods are generally to blame but improper handling or serving can also be at fault. Not keeping up with proper hygiene can also be a cause of food poisoning, especially in the home.

Foods That Can Make You Sick
Most foods are safe to eat when cooked or prepared correctly. When it comes to meats, seafood, and poultry objectionable handling and consumption may put you at risk for food poisoning. The following foods should be cooked and prepared with special care paid attention to temperature:

• Chicken, Turkey, Quail, Duck, or any other food in the poultry category.
• Cold cuts, sausage, and processed meats.
• Seafood - including shellfish, squid, lobster, shrimp, crab, etc.
• Unpasteurized milk and food products made with unpasteurized milk.
• Leftovers

To avoid contracting food poisoning from eating these foods it is best to thoroughly cook everything. When eating foods that are typically served raw or undercooked, for your best safety they should be served cold (refrigerator temperature is fine) or on ice. This rule generally applies only to seafood like oysters and clams. Cold cuts should be consumed upon preparation and should not be allowed to sit and get warm.

When it comes to meat and poultry neither should be eaten raw or undercooked. Sure, a steak cooked medium rare is not going to kill you. But you could end up with a bad stomach ache the next day especially if you are not used to eating rare foods. Fully cook all meat and poultry according to the package directions. For the best health protection purchase a kitchen thermometer that can be inserted into foods to make sure the internal temperature is correct. Usually these kinds of thermometers also include a guide that tells you what temperature each type of meat should be before consumption.

Avoid drinking unpasteurized milk or consuming food products made with it. Any and all leftovers should be fully reheated before eating. Grabbing a cold plate out of the refrigerator and taking a few bites could lead to diarrhea in just a couple of days. The easiest way to reheat leftovers is in the microwave; just make sure they are hot all the way through before eating. Whenever possible use the oven or stovetop to reheat leftovers and cut large pieces of food up to ensure they are properly heated.

Types of Bacteria that Cause Food Poisoning
There are five major kinds of bacteria found in foods that can be dangerous to your health. Of these five bacteria, E. Coli and Hepatitis A can cause severe infections and lifelong damage to internal organs. Food poisoning can also be caused by Salmonella, Campy Lobacter, and Listeria.

E. Coli and Hepatitis A are spread by contamination of food. This is usually due to improper hygiene by the preparer; not washing hands. Always wash your hands with soap and hot water before preparing or serving food. E. Coli infections can be serious and symptoms generally appear 24-48 hours after consumption of contaminated food. As with most types of food poisoning symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and mild to severe stomach ache. E. Coli can be dangerous if left untreated and can lead to kidney problems and urinary tract infections.

Hepatitis A symptoms usually occur within 2-5 days after eating contaminated food. Food poisoning cause by Hepatitis A is most often accompanied by severe diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Hepatitis A not only infects your intestines but can infect your blood, for life. Hepatitis A can also cause liver disease and in serious cases liver failure. This may not occur for up to two months after eating contaminated food.

Salmonella can also be extremely dangerous if not treated right away and can cause death in severe cases. Salmonella poisoning is most often accompanied by fever and severe abdominal cramping as well as the typical food poisoning symptoms. Campy Lobacter is generally mild and the symptoms last about one week. Often the parasite Campy Lobacter is contracted by eating undercooked poultry.

Listeria generally finds its way into the body by consuming processed meats, cold cuts, and sausage. Always make sure cold cuts are served cold and processed meats and sausage are fully cooked before eating. Listeria can also be found in hot dogs so make sure they are hot through and through before eating.

How to Stop the Spread of Food Poisoning at Home
When preparing and serving food at home there are certain things you can do to avoid getting and/or giving food poisoning. First, always wash your hands before preparing, serving, or eating food. Fully cook all meats, poultry, and seafood when applicable. After preparation of food (before serving) wash your hands again and also any utensils, plates, cutting boards, and counter tops that raw foods may have touched. Never use the same plates or utensils for raw and cooked foods.

To ensure that you are working in a clean kitchen disinfect all porous surfaces at least once weekly. Either replace or clean sponges and washcloths in the same manner. If you choose, when running the dishwasher, place your sponges on the top rack and operate on sanitizing mode. Wash all used dishtowels promptly using hot water and bleach; dry on high heat.

Avoiding Food Poisoning in Public
When eating at restaurants order all foods well done. Beware of cold buffet items like oysters, clams, and shrimp which may not be kept at the proper temperature. Instead order these items a la carte from the kitchen. If you think you've gotten food poisoning from a restaurant call the owner immediately and let them know when and what you ate. You should also report any doctor confirmed case of food poisoning to your local health department.