Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
What is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning is a broad term used to describe the symptoms and physical ailments suffered as a result of consuming food or beverages contaminated with dangerous organisms.
Common Causes of Food Poisoning
There are several sources of food poisoning. The three most standard causes of food contamination include:
- bacterial
- viral
- parasitic
Though there are many harmful foreign organisms that can cause negative effects when ingested, several are particularly common in the United States.
Some of the most common types of food contaminants include:
- E. coli
- Salmonella
- Botulism
- Norovirus
- Toxoplasmosis
- Listeria
- Staph
Raw milk, fish, eggs, meat, and poultry are especially prone to hosting organisms. Recently, fresh produce, raw nuts and even packaged foods, such as peanut butter, cookies and crackers have been found to be sources of food poisoning.
Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Symptoms of food poisoning and the duration of illness can vary by the source and infected patient.
Common symptoms of food poisoning include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- stomach cramping
- fever
- diarrhea
Because food poisoning has such a strong impact on the digestive system, patients are especially prone to dehydration brought on by vomiting and diarrhea.
Though symptoms of food poisoning can often be treated at home, complications can arise for certain patients, or with particularly virulent strains of contaminants.
Some cases of food poisoning may require hospitalization and extreme cases can result in death.
Complications of Food Poisoning
Populations that are especially at-risk for suffering serious complications with food poisoning are listed below:
- pregnant women
- nursing mothers
- children
- elderly
- those with compromised immune systems
Preventing Food Poisoning
Most cases of food poisoning are preventable, both at-home and in commercial environments. Some important steps to preventing food poisoning are listed below:
- Wash hands before preparing food and after handling raw meat, eggs or poultry.
- Clean and disinfect all surfacesthat come in contact with food.
- Wash fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid cross-contamination.
- Cook and store foods at the proper temperature.
