Food Poisoning – Food Safety

Food poisoning is an any illness caused by ingestion of contaminated food that contains a toxin, chemical or infectious agent (like a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion) which may cause adverse effect in the body.

How does food become contaminated?

Lack of personal hygiene care like hand washing
When food is not prepared safely, including when meat is undercooked
By contact with pets, flies or other pests
When raw meat and ready to eat (RTE) foods come into contact with each other
When food is stored at unsafe temperatures that allows bacteria to grow
When fruit, vegetable and egg were contaminated with animal manure.
Mixing utensils and any other equipment for different food

Sign & Symptoms

Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Some people are at more risk of getting food poisoning than others, including the young children, pregnant women, elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

People with food poisoning may experience some or all of the following symptoms:

Nausea
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
Stomach pains or cramps
Sweating, fever or chills
Headache
Lethargy (extreme tiredness).

Causes of Illness

Agent Explanation

Tips to prevent food poisoning

Cook raw meats thoroughly.
Avoid eating raw foods such as raw or undercooked eggs.
Do not drink unpasteurised milk.
Wash raw vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
Keep knives used to cut meats separately from those used to cut vegetables (use color code for knive and cutting board).
Keep cooked food separate from raw food.
Foods should be cooked thoroughly especially eggs, poultry, and meat.
Leftovers should be refrigerated immediately so bacteria and viruses do not have time to start growing.
Wash fruits and vegetables well before eating. This removes dirt, pesticides, chemicals, or other infectious agents used on, or exposed to, the foods in the fields or storage facilities.
Wash hands routinely before and after handling food to help prevent the spread of infection.
Thoroughly clean counters and other areas that are used to clean, prepare, and assemble foods. Cross contamination of food is common and can cause food poisonings. For example, a cutting board and knife used to cut raw chicken should be washed thoroughly before cutting up fruit and vegetables to prevent the spread of Salmonella..
Pregnant women and people who have compromised immune systems, should avoid eating soft cheeses like camembert, brie, blue, and feta because of the risk of contracting Listeria. Be very sure all fruits and vegetables are cleaned thoroughly prior to eating, no matter the source.

What’s good to eat when you have food poisoning?

It’s best to gradually hold off on solid foods until vomiting and diarrhea have passed. Apart from that, ease back to your regular diet by eating simple-to-digest foods that are bland and low in fat, such as:

What’s bad to eat when you have food poisoning?

Fried Foods- High in fat and can cause diarrhea. Example: Fatty cuts of meat, rich in sauce, buttery or creamy desserts. Safety Tips- Choose roasted or baked foods and light sauces that feature vegetables instead of butter or cream.
High in fiber which can give an upset to stomach. Example: Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, pomelo and limes Safety- go easy on oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits if your belly doesn't feel right.
Too Much Fiber- Foods high in carbohydrate, like whole grains and vegetables, are good for digestion. But if you start eating lots of them, your digestive system may have trouble adjusting. It will cause gas and bloating. Safety tips- Step up the amount of fiber you eat gradually.
Cruciferous vegetables- High fiber which make it hard to digest. Example- Broccoli and cabbage. Safety- It will be easier on your stomach if you cook them instead of eating it raw.
Fructose Example- Foods sweetened with this include sodas, candy, fruit juice, and pastries are hard for some people to digest. That can lead to diarrhea, bloating, and cramps.
Artificial sugar.- Chew too much sugar-free gum made with sorbitol and you might get cramps and diarrhea. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste which the human body metabolizes slowly. The FDA warns that you might get diarrhea if you eat 50 or more grams a day of sorbitol, though even much lower amounts reportedly cause trouble for some people.
Spicy Foods- It will cause indigestion or heartburn after eating it. Studies suggest the hot ingredient in chili peppers, called capsaicin, may be a culprit to heartbun. Capsaicin is an active component of chili peppers. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact.