Ten Foods that Could Possibly Make You Sick If Not Properly Handled and Cooked

Many foods can get you sick if a person does not maintain proper food handling such as hand washing. There are after all many foods that carry bacteria and should be washed before cooking and cooked properly.

1. The number one food that can make you sick is one that has recently been in the news, eggs. Eggs can have salmonella and should be cooked thoroughly. However many people want their eggs over easy and sometimes if the eggs are not properly cooked the risk of salmonella increases significantly.

2. Sprouts such as alfalfa sprouts have been known to cause everything from salmonella to even E coli outbreaks. Alfalfa sprouts or any type of legume should be cooked thoroughly in order to decrease the risk of having salmonella or E coli. Sprouts have to be thoroughly cooked, rinsing or even a warm bath is not sufficient to kill any salmonella or E coli that may be on the sprouts or legumes.

3. Fish including oysters and tuna can harbor everything from mercury to other pollutants such as toxins. Fish can be infected by pollutants before they are caught and after they are caught there can be additional medical issues brought on by improper handling such as improper handling temperature. Fish is one of the top foods in which people report cases of food poisoning.

4. Red meat such as beef is another top food that many people unfortunately report food poisoning with. Hamburger not properly handled and cooked can lead to E coli outbreaks.

5. Chicken is another meat that if not properly handled can cause people to get sick with salmonella or E coli. Proper handling and cooking is imperative when eating chicken at all times.

6. Processed meat products also can get people severely ill with salmonella poisoning or E coli. Everything from hot dogs to luncheon meat can make people severely ill if they are not properly handled and eaten long after the meat is out of date, especially if not cooked.

7. Many people have allergies and any food that a person is allergic to can make a person very sick. Many people are allergic to nuts and therefore even one peanut can cause someone with a severe allergy to have respiratory distress that can if not properly treated be life threatening.

8. Many people are lactose intolerant and can become sick from drinking milk or eating any dairy product such as ice cream. Lactose intolerant can cause severe symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal distress and nausea.

9. Any food product that is not properly handled and left out for an extended amount of time can cause severe illness. Food poisoning can be caused from many foods being left out that require refrigeration. Some foods such as mayonnaise must be refrigerated after opening and if not properly refrigerated can become breeding grounds for bacteria growth.

10. Mold on bread or other products can make a person sick if eaten. Unfortunately many children will eat bread or other foods and not notice that the product has already started growing mold, thereby causing abdominal distress, diarrhea and in some cases vomiting.

Proper washing, handling, and cooking is imperative for keeping you and your family healthy and protected as much as possible against any bacteria present on your food.

References for this article include: www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20310810,00.html
www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp
www.examiner.com/us-headlines-in-national/fda-list-of-top-ten-foods-that-can-make-you-sick