Food poisoning can be divided into two basic
types: illness caused by infectious organisms and illness
caused by chemicals.
The infectious organisms (pathogens)
that cause food poisoning are bacteria, viruses,
and parasites. Chemicals can be either natural toxins
(poisons) found in plants (e.g. poisonous mushrooms)
and animals (Japanese puffer fish) or they can be manmade
chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides.
Symptoms of food poisoning usually develop anywhere
within 1–48 hours after eating contaminated
food. Symptoms of chemical food poisoning often
appear very quickly.
The type of symptoms and their
severity depend on the cause of the food poisoning, the
amount of contaminated food eaten, and the health of
the individual.
Symptoms usually develop suddenly.
Some common symptoms of food poisoning include:
-nausea followed by forceful vomiting
-frequent diarrhea. Stools can be extremely watery
and may or may not contain blood.
-painful stomach cramps
-fever
-headache
-dizziness
-blurred vision, difficulty breathing, tingling in hands
and feet (chemical food poisoning)
Contamination that causes food poisoning can
occur at every level of the food production process
Some examples follow.
-Growers: application of illegal pesticides and herbicides
or their application higher than approved concentrations.
In the United States, pesticides use is
regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
-Processors: use of contaminated water in processing,
inadequate disinfecting of processing equipment,
inadequate time and temperature in processing
canned or cooked foods, contamination with poisons
used to control factory pests, and improper handling
of raw materials. In the United States, meatpacking
plants are inspected by the USDA, and other food
processing plants are inspected by the United States
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
-Storage and transportation: holding fresh or frozen
foods at improper temperatures, inappropriate use
of fumigants in warehouses or trucks, inadequate
sanitizing of food-carrying tanker trucks (e.g. milk,
corn syrup), and contamination by insects or rodent
droppings in storage areas
-Retail outlets and restaurants: food kept at improper
temperatures, cross-contamination between raw and
cooked food, improper disinfecting of food preparation
surfaces, transmission by infected food handlers, and failure of food handlers to wash their hands.
Restaurants are inspected by local health authorities.
-Home preparation: letting food sit out too long at
room temperature, inadequate cooking, crosscontamination
between cooked and raw food, failure
to properly reheat leftovers
