SLIDESHOW
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20 Common and Unusual Sources of Food Poisoning ( COURTECY; WEBMD )
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20 Ways You Can Get Food Poisoning
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Listeria: Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Listeria bacteria can
contaminate fresh produce, like cantaloupes, as well as some processed foods,
like cheeses. Symptoms of infection include fever, muscle aches, upset stomach,
or diarrhea -- occurring 2 days to 2 months after exposure.
Safety: Scrub raw produce and dry before cutting. Store in
fridge below 40 F. Clean everything in contact with a whole melon.
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Listeria: Unpasteurized Dairy
Dairy products made with
raw milk, including yogurt and soft cheeses like Brie, feta, and Mexican queso,
can harbor listeria. Because listeria can live at colder temperatures, simply
refrigerating these foods won't kill the bacteria. People at highest risk of
getting sick include the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened
immune systems.
Safety: Check the label. Make sure it's clearly marked
"pasteurized."
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Listeria: Deli Meats and Hot Dogs
Sometimes listeria finds
its way into a food processing factory, where it can live for years. Heat kills
listeria, but contamination may happen after cooking, but before
packaging -- for example, if a food is placed back on a counter that had
raw meat on it.
Safety: Never keep pre-cooked or ready-to-eat foods past
their use-by date. Heat hot dogs and lunch meats until steaming (165 F) before
eating.
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Salmonella: Poultry and Eggs
Salmonella bacteria can
taint any food, although there's a greater risk from animal products because of
contact with animal feces. In chickens, it can infect eggs before the shell
forms, so even clean, fresh eggs may harbor salmonella. Symptoms include
stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea 12 to 72 hours after exposure. Illness
usually lasts 4 to 7 days.
Safety: Never eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. Cook poultry
to 165 F. Keep raw poultry separate from cooked poultry and other foods. Wash
hands, cutting boards, utensils, and countertops after handling.
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Salmonella: Fresh Produce
Fresh produce is
catching up with poultry as a cause of salmonella infections. Outbreaks have
been traced to tomatoes, hot peppers, salad greens, and papayas. Sprouts, too,
may harbor salmonella because they’re grown in warm, humid conditions – and are
often eaten raw or lightly cooked. Infections can be severe or even fatal in
people at higher risk, including babies and the frail elderly.
Safety: Thoroughly wash and dry produce, and store in the fridge
at 40° F.
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Salmonella: Processed Foods
Chips, crackers, soup,
peanut butter, even frozen meals may pose a slight risk for salmonella
infection. One salmonella outbreak was linked to peanut butter and packaged
foods made with peanuts, including granola bars and cookies. In cases like
these, salmonella bacteria at a processing plant can contaminate many products,
which must then be recalled.
Safety: Never use a product that has been recalled --
immediately return it to the store or throw it away. Heating foods thoroughly
to 165 F can kill salmonella bacteria.
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Salmonella: Raw Meat
Raw meat, particularly
ground meat, is at risk for salmonella contamination. Ground turkey has been
linked with several salmonella outbreaks. You usually can't tell the food is
contaminated because it looks and smells normal.
Safety: Cook beef, pork, and lamb to at least 145 F and poultry
(including ground poultry) to at least 165 F. Ground beef, pork, and lamb
should be heated to 160 F. Avoid cross-contamination by washing hands and all
surfaces with warm soapy water after contact with raw meat.
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E. coli: Ground Beef
E.
coli lives in the intestines of cattle and can
contaminate beef during the slaughtering process. Ground beef is especially
risky, because the bacteria can spread when meat is ground up. Symptoms
of E. coli infection include severe abdominal cramps, watery
diarrhea, and vomiting. The illness typically develops several days after
exposure and can be severe in vulnerable people. It lasts about a week.
Safety: Cook meat thoroughly (160 F, no pink in the
center). Do not put a cooked burger back on a plate that held raw meat. Wash
utensils, including the meat thermometer, with warm, soapy water.
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E. coli: Raw Juice and Milk
Pasteurization uses heat
to kill bacteria. Since most juices you’ll find at the grocery store have been
pasteurized, they pose no risk. However, unpasteurized juices and ciders sold
at farms, stands, or in health food stores, can harbor E. coli.
The bacteria can also get into raw milk as a result of unclean milking
equipment, or manure-soiled or infected udders.
Safety: Buy
only products that have been pasteurized. If you're not sure, boil before
drinking.
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E. coli: Fresh Produce
Fruits and vegetables
can be tainted with E. coli if the fertilizer or water used to grow them
carries the bacteria. Leafy greens are at highest risk. E. coli has been linked
to fresh spinach. But produce growers have put safety measures into place to
minimize the risk. Experts say the health benefits of eating fruits and veggies
are far greater than the risk of food poisoning.
Safety: Separate and individually wash the leaves of leafy
greens, and cook vegetables to kill bacteria.
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Botulism: Canned Foods
Botulism is a rare,
potentially fatal illness linked to improperly canned or preserved foods.
Home-canned foods are especially at risk, as well as honey, cured meats, and
fermented, smoked, or salted fish. Babies have the highest risk of getting
sick. Symptoms include cramps, vomiting, breathing problems, difficulty
swallowing, double vision, and weakness or paralysis. If you suspect botulism
poisoning, call 911.
Safety: Never give honey to children under 12 months.
Throw away bulging cans, leaking jars, or foul-smelling preserved foods -- or
if liquid spurts out upon opening. Sterilize home-canned foods by cooking at
250 F for 30 minutes.
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C. Perfringens: Meat, Stew, and Gravy
Clostridium perfringens
is a type of bacteria that causes cramps and diarrhea lasting less than 24
hours. Stews, gravies, and other foods that are prepared in large quantities
and kept warm for a long time before serving are a common source of C. perfringens
infections.
Safety: Sauces, gravies, and stews should be cooked
thoroughly and then kept at a temperature above 140 F or below 41 F. Serve food
hot right after cooking. Promptly refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers
to allow for proper cooling.
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Staph: Sandwiches, Salads, Pastries
Yes, you can get a staph
infection from food -- when an infected person prepares it. Foods at highest
risk include sandwiches, salads (including egg, tuna, chicken, potato, and
macaroni), cream-filled pastries, and puddings. Symptoms come on quickly, in as
little as 30 minutes, and include vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea. The illness
usually runs its course in one to three days.
Safety: Wash hands thoroughly before handling food. Do not
handle food if you are sick or have a nose or eye infection, an open wound, or
infection on your hands or wrists.
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Hepatitis A: Improper Food Handling
Hepatitis A is a virus
that attacks the liver and can cause fever, fatigue, nausea, weight loss, and
jaundice. Most infections are mild. It can spread when an infected person
doesn’t wash hands properly, then touches food or items that are put in the mouth.
Recent outbreaks were traced back to workers in food processing plants or
restaurants.
Safety: Get vaccinated against hepatitis A. Check restaurant
health ratings. Always wash hands thoroughly before handling food.
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Campylobacter: Undercooked Poultry
As little as one drop of
raw chicken juice can cause campylobacter illness -- a little-known illness
that is the second-leading cause of food poisoning in the U.S. Symptoms can
include fever, cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Most people recover in less than
a week, but it can lead to Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare, serious illness.
Guillain-Barre develops a few weeks after diarrheal illness and can cause
temporary paralysis.
Safety: Avoid cross-contamination by washing hands,
cutting surfaces, utensils, and countertops in warm, soapy water after handling
raw poultry. Cook poultry to at least 165 F.
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Norwalk Virus: Improper Food Handling
Noroviruses are the most
common culprits in what we think of as the "stomach flu." They cause
vomiting and diarrhea, and usually last 24 to 48 hours. Norwalk viruses
contaminate food when a food worker doesn’t wash his or her hands after using
the restroom. Foods like salad or raw shellfish pose a risk because they aren’t
cooked before eating.
Safety: Always wash hands with hot, soapy water for 30
seconds after using the toilet or changing diapers, and before handling food.
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Vibrio Vulnificus: Raw Oysters
Vibrio
vulnificus is a bacteria that lives in warm
seawater and can contaminate shellfish, particularly oysters. V.
vulnificus infection causes the same gastrointestinal symptoms as many
other foodborne illnesses, but in people with weakened immune systems it can
develop into a life-threatening blood infection.
Safety: Only eat thoroughly cooked shellfish. Frying,
baking, boiling, and steaming reduces the risk of infection. Throw away any
shellfish that doesn't open during cooking.
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Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
Paralytic shellfish
poison (PSP) is produced by certain types of algae. When algae
"blooms" -- called a red tide -- it produces high levels of toxin and
shellfish can be contaminated. Symptoms of PSP include tingling lips and
tongue, numbness, difficulty breathing, and eventual paralysis. Death from PSP
can happen as soon as 30 minutes after extreme exposure. Luckily, PSP is
extremely rare. Shellfish are regularly tested for toxins before being sold to
the public.
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Scombrotoxin: Fresh Tuna
Scombrotoxin poisoning
is an allergy-like reaction to eating fish that has begun to spoil. Fish
associated with scombrotoxin include tuna, mackerel, amberjack, and mahi-mahi.
In the early stages of spoilage, bacteria produce histamines in the fish. This causes
a burning sensation in the mouth, itchy rash, dizziness, headache, and
diarrhea. Symptoms usually subside within four to six hours, and antihistamines
can help.
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Ciguatera Poisoning: Fish
This develops from
eating reef fish like grouper or snapper that have consumed some types of sea
algae. Symptoms develop within 6 hours of exposure and can include:
·
Burning or painful tingling in arms or
legs
·
Headache
·
Nausea, vomiting
·
Diarrhea
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Hallucinations
·
Temperature reversal (cold objects feel
hot, hot objects feel cold)
There is no cure for ciguatera poisoning, and although it usually goes away after days or weeks, neurological symptoms can sometimes last for years.
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When to Call a Doctor
Most foodborne illnesses
resolve on their own, but you should call the doctor if you have:
·
A high fever
·
Bloody stools
·
Prolonged vomiting
·
Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days
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Signs of dehydration (dry mouth,
dizziness, reduced urination)
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Tips for Safer Food Handling
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Thoroughly wash hands before handling
food.
·
Wash cutting surfaces, utensils, and
countertops after contact with raw meat.
·
Wash produce under running water and dry
with paper towels.
·
Discard outer leaves of lettuce or
cabbage.
·
Cook meat, poultry, and eggs to proper
temperature.
·
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
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Special Precautions
Certain groups are at
increased risk of contracting a foodborne illness or getting very sick from it.
Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people with compromised immune
systems should avoid eating undercooked meats and eggs, unpasteurized dairy
products, uncooked hot dogs and deli meats, and raw seafood.
This tool does not provide medical advice
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