Food Poisoning – Result Of Food Contamination
Food poisoning is caused by eating organisms or toxins present in food or drinks. Staphylococcus or E. coli is one of the commonest bacteria which results in food poisoning. Due to improper handling, this kind of a contamination happens. Even though it is a very common condition it can get worse depending on the degree of contamination. Some common foods which can cause food poisoning if proper care is not taken are raw poultry, unpasteurized milk, red meat, poisonous mushrooms, pesticides on fruits and vegetables, egg and raw egg products, raw meat and water.
The symptoms are so mild that we hardly register it in our minds. The symptoms develop within one hour or it may show up within 12-48 hours. It lasts for more than two days but, depending on its seriousness it may take around a week to recover.
You may have bouts of vomiting, abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhea and similar other pains. If it is very serious you may have chills and fever, bloody stools, dehydration, muscle aches and weakness. In rare cases it may lead to brain damage causing paralysis or death.
Pesticide, chemicals, heavy metals, parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria are some of the common causes for food poisoning. Bacteria are a major culprit, due to their capacity to multiply. To prevent the contamination we should have a clean kitchen including the storage and vessels, handle raw and cooked food with proper precautions, cook food to the maximum temperature to avoid presence of bacteria and heat canned foods before tasting. You can stop this outbreak either by minimizing the headcount of bacteria, preventing their growth, killing bacteria with proper measures of cooking.
