Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is an illness induced by eating food or drinks contaminated with harmful bacteria or eating food contaminated with chemicals called toxins. There are two main types of bacterial food poisoning:

·        Food poisoning caused by the consumption of bacteria: This type of food poisoning results from eating bacteria which multiply in the food if it is left in conditions which support the growth of bacteria.

·        Food poisoning caused by the consumption of toxins: Toxins are chemicals that can make you ill and are produced by certain types of bacteria. The toxin is produced in the food before it is eaten and this preformed toxin normally makes you ill very soon after eating the food.

Given the right conditions, millions of bacteria can grow on common, everyday foods. These conditions are:

·        Time – a single bacterium can multiply to over two million in just seven hours

·        Warmth – the ‘danger zone’ temperatures at which bacteria grow best are between 5ºC and 63ºC

·        Food – like any other living things, germs need food to grow. High-risk foods that bacteria love best include dairy products, meat, poultry, fish and shellfish

·        Moisture – bacteria need moisture to grow. This includes moisture in ‘wet’ foods such as juicy meats, sandwich fillings, soups, sauces and dressings.

Symptoms of food poisoning

The symptoms of food poisoning can vary, depending on what type of bacteria has caused the infection. Symptoms can be mild or severe. When you get sick, you usually have one or more of the following symptoms:

·        Feeling sick (nausea)

·        Stomach cramps

·        Diarrhoea

·        Vomiting

·        Fever (feeling very hot)

How do you prevent food poisoning?

Given the right conditions such as warmth, moisture and time, bacteria can easily grow on food and multiply very quickly. That’s why food that is not properly stored or thoroughly cooked can cause food borne illnesses.

There are four simple steps you can take to prevent food poisoning:

·        Clean – always wash your hands before and after handling and eating food, after visiting the toilet or playing with pets or animals

·        Cook – make sure that food is thoroughly cooked in order to destroy any harmful bacteria that might be present.

·        Chill – keep food cool in order to prevent bad bacteria from growing; make sure that your fridge is at the correct temperature to keep cold foods chilled – aim to keep your fridge at 5°C or below.

·        Separate to prevent cross-contamination – separate raw and cooked foods during storage and cooking and never let raw food, for example raw meat, come into contact with food that is ready-to-eat.