Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is one of the most common widespread illnesses of human history, and it can be caused by various factors that are plainly out of our control. Others are within our control, like proper hand washing and using sanitized utensils during food preparation. Some of these factors are introduced to the food chain during manufacturing or cultivation, while others happen during packing and preservation and many more during its retail handling. Food service workers and anybody that handles food should always wash there hands, especially when handling different types of food at once and always as a form of good hygiene. The most common cause of tainted food is identified as bacteria or fungus growth, microscopic in nature, it is not easily detectable. The presence of this bacteria is normally found in raw food. In most cases, bad handling, unhygienic food preparation and contaminating utensils cause the contamination to grow uncontrollably, especially in meats and meat products, where the contamination between raw and cooked foods can be fatal if consumed. Food poisoning is most likely to attack people with low immunity defenses such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. 90% of food poisoning in the world is caused by several types of bacteria which include Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Entero-pathogenic Escherichia coli. The earliest recognizable symptoms of food poisoning are abdominal pains, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever. However, the slightest hint of any of these symptoms should trigger an alarm in a healthy person. Sometimes, as the toxins are flushed out of the body, the food poising takes care of itself, but it is advisable to consult a physician before matters get out of hand. A rapidly strengthening bacterial attack can be fatal, so proper care should always be taken when handling food.