Topic Overview
This topic is about many different types of food poisoning. For more information on E. coli and toxoplasmosis, see the topics E. coli Infection and Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy.
This topic is about many different types of food poisoning. For more information on E. coli and toxoplasmosis, see the topics E. coli Infection and Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy.
What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating foods that have harmful organisms in them. These harmful germs can include bacteria, parasites, and viruses. They are mostly found in raw meat, chicken, fish, and eggs, but can spread to any type of food. They can also grow on food that is left out on counters or outdoors or is stored too long before you eat it. Sometimes food poisoning happens when people do not 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 causing the illness. But some types of food poisoning may be more serious, and you may need to see a doctor.
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 causing the illness. But some types of food poisoning may be more serious, and you may need to see a doctor.
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. How you feel when you have food poisoning mostly depends on how healthy you are and what germ is making you sick.
If you vomit or have diarrhea a lot, you can get dehydrated. Dehydration means that your body has lost too much fluid. Watch for signs of dehydration, which include having a dry mouth, feeling lightheaded, and passing only a little dark urine. Children can get dehydrated very quickly and should be watched closely. Pregnant women should always call a doctor if they think they may have food poisoning
How do harmful germs get into food?
Germs can get into food when:
Meat is processed. It is normal to find bacteria in the intestines of healthy animals that we use for food. Sometimes the bacteria get mixed up with the parts of those animals that we eat.
The food is watered or washed. If the water 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.
The food is prepared. When someone who has germs on his or her hands touches the food, or if the food touches other food that has germs on it, the germs can spread. For example, if you use the same cutting board for chopping vegetables and preparing raw meat, germs from the raw meat can get on the vegetables.
Prevention
You can prevent most cases of food poisoning by being careful when preparing and storing food. Wash your hands and working surfaces while preparing food, cook foods to safe temperatures, and refrigerate foods promptly. Be especially careful when cooking or heating perishable foods, such as eggs, meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, and milk products. You should also take extra care if you are pregnant, have an impaired immune system, or are preparing foods for children or older people.
The following steps can help prevent food poisoning (adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Shop safely. Bag raw meat, poultry, and fish separately from other food items. Drive home immediately after finishing your shopping so you can store all foods promptly.
Prepare foods safely. Wash your hands before and after handling food. Also wash them after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables, rinsing well with running water. After cutting raw meat, poultry, or fish, wash your cutting board with hot, soapy water and disinfect it with a bleach solution. Use 1 teaspoon of bleach per 1 quart [32 fl oz] of water, or according to the label directions. You can also wash your knives and cutting boards in the dishwasher to disinfect them.
Store foods safely. 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 or colder.
Cook foods safely. Use a clean meat thermometer to determine whether foods are cooked to a safe temperature. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 F. Do not eat undercooked hamburger, and be aware of the risk of food poisoning from raw fish (including sushi), clams, and oysters.
Serve foods safely. Keep cooked hot foods hot [140 F or above] and cold foods cold [40 F or below].
Follow labels on food packaging. Food packaging labels provide information about when to use the food and how to store it. Reading food labels and following safety instructions will reduce your chances of becoming ill with food poisoning.
When in doubt, throw it out. If you are not sure whether a food is safe, don't eat it. Reheating food that is contaminated will not make it safe. Don't taste suspicious food. It may smell and look fine but still may not be safe to eat.
It is important to pay particular attention to food preparation and storage during warm months when food is often served outside. Bacteria grow faster in warmer weather, so food can spoil more quickly and possibly cause illness. Do not leave food outdoors for more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 F, and never leave it outdoors for more than 2 hours.
Many counties in the United States have extension services listed in the phone book. These services can answer your questions about safe home canning and food preparation.
Follow the links below to find specific information, including prevention, for each organism:
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum)
Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter)
Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes)
Marine toxins
Noroviruses
Perfringens food poisoning (Clostridium perfringens)
Salmonellosis (Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis)
Shigellosis (Shigella)
Staph food poisoning (Staphylococcus aureus)
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)
Vibrio vulnificus food poisoning (Vibrio vulnificus)
The first symptom of food poisoning is usually diarrhea. You may also feel sick to your stomach, vomit, or have stomach cramps. How you feel when you have food poisoning mostly depends on how healthy you are and what germ is making you sick.
If you vomit or have diarrhea a lot, you can get dehydrated. Dehydration means that your body has lost too much fluid. Watch for signs of dehydration, which include having a dry mouth, feeling lightheaded, and passing only a little dark urine. Children can get dehydrated very quickly and should be watched closely. Pregnant women should always call a doctor if they think they may have food poisoning
How do harmful germs get into food?
Germs can get into food when:
Meat is processed. It is normal to find bacteria in the intestines of healthy animals that we use for food. Sometimes the bacteria get mixed up with the parts of those animals that we eat.
The food is watered or washed. If the water 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.
The food is prepared. When someone who has germs on his or her hands touches the food, or if the food touches other food that has germs on it, the germs can spread. For example, if you use the same cutting board for chopping vegetables and preparing raw meat, germs from the raw meat can get on the vegetables.
Prevention
You can prevent most cases of food poisoning by being careful when preparing and storing food. Wash your hands and working surfaces while preparing food, cook foods to safe temperatures, and refrigerate foods promptly. Be especially careful when cooking or heating perishable foods, such as eggs, meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, and milk products. You should also take extra care if you are pregnant, have an impaired immune system, or are preparing foods for children or older people.
The following steps can help prevent food poisoning (adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Shop safely. Bag raw meat, poultry, and fish separately from other food items. Drive home immediately after finishing your shopping so you can store all foods promptly.
Prepare foods safely. Wash your hands before and after handling food. Also wash them after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables, rinsing well with running water. After cutting raw meat, poultry, or fish, wash your cutting board with hot, soapy water and disinfect it with a bleach solution. Use 1 teaspoon of bleach per 1 quart [32 fl oz] of water, or according to the label directions. You can also wash your knives and cutting boards in the dishwasher to disinfect them.
Store foods safely. 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 or colder.
Cook foods safely. Use a clean meat thermometer to determine whether foods are cooked to a safe temperature. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 F. Do not eat undercooked hamburger, and be aware of the risk of food poisoning from raw fish (including sushi), clams, and oysters.
Serve foods safely. Keep cooked hot foods hot [140 F or above] and cold foods cold [40 F or below].
Follow labels on food packaging. Food packaging labels provide information about when to use the food and how to store it. Reading food labels and following safety instructions will reduce your chances of becoming ill with food poisoning.
When in doubt, throw it out. If you are not sure whether a food is safe, don't eat it. Reheating food that is contaminated will not make it safe. Don't taste suspicious food. It may smell and look fine but still may not be safe to eat.
It is important to pay particular attention to food preparation and storage during warm months when food is often served outside. Bacteria grow faster in warmer weather, so food can spoil more quickly and possibly cause illness. Do not leave food outdoors for more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 F, and never leave it outdoors for more than 2 hours.
Many counties in the United States have extension services listed in the phone book. These services can answer your questions about safe home canning and food preparation.
Follow the links below to find specific information, including prevention, for each organism:
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum)
Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter)
Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes)
Marine toxins
Noroviruses
Perfringens food poisoning (Clostridium perfringens)
Salmonellosis (Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis)
Shigellosis (Shigella)
Staph food poisoning (Staphylococcus aureus)
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)
Vibrio vulnificus food poisoning (Vibrio vulnificus)
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