Food Poisoning

Understanding Food Poisoning

(adapted from a Department of Agriculture chart published in Hill Top Times, June 16, 1994)

What is Food Poisoning? Food poisoning, caused by harmful bacteria, normally produces intestinal flu-like symptoms lasting a few hours to several days. But is cases of botulism, or when food poisoning strikes infants, the ill or the elderly, the situation can be serious.

Where do these bacteria come from and how can they be stopped? Food poisoning bacteria, microscopic in size, surround us--in the air, soil, water, in our own digestive tracts, and in those of many animals. The only way they can effectively be stopped is by careful attention to food handling rules like those outlined.

BACTERIA

Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)

How It Attacks:

Staph spreads from someone handling food. It is found on the skin and in boils, pimples, and throat infections.  At warm temperatures, staph produces a poison.

Symptoms:

2-8 hours after eating, you could have vomiting and diarrhea lasting a day or two.

Prevention:

Cooking won't destroy the staph poison, so:

• Wash hands, utensils before preparing food.
• Don't leave food out over two hours.
• Susceptible foods are meat, poultry, meat and poultry salads, cheese,
  egg products, starchy salads (potato, macaroni, pasta, and tuna),
  custards, cream filled desserts.

Salmonella

How it attacks:

You can get salmonella when infected food--meat, poultry, eggs, fish--is eaten raw or undercooked. Other cases? When cooked food comes in contact with infected raw food, or when an infected person contaminates food.

Symptoms:

In 12-36 hours you could have diarrhea, fever, and vomiting lasting 2-7 days.

Prevention:

Keep raw food away from cooked food, and:

• Thoroughly cook meat, poultry, fish.
• Be especially careful with poultry, pork, roast beef, hamburgers.
• Don't drink unpasteurized milk.

Clostridium perfringens

How it attacks:

This 'buffet germ' grows rapidly in large portions of food that are cooling slowly.  It can also grow in chafing dishes which may not keep food sufficiently hot, and even in the refrigerator if food is stored in large portions which do not cool quickly.

Symptoms

In 8-24 hours you could have diarrhea and gas pains, ending usually in less than a day. But older people and ulcer patients can be badly affected.

Prevention:

Keep food hot (over 140 degrees F) or cold (under 40 degrees F), and:

• Divide bulk foods into smaller portions for serving and cooling.
• Be careful with poultry, gravy, stews, casseroles.

Campylobacter jejuni

How it attacks:

You drink untreated water on an outing. Your pet becomes infected and
spreads it to the whole family, or you eat raw or undercooked meat, poultry, or shellfish.

Symptoms:

In 2-5 days you could have severe (possibly bloody) diarrhea, cramping, fever and headache lasting 2-7 days.

Prevention:

Don't drink untreated water or unpasteurized milk, and:

• Thoroughly clean hands, utensils, and surfaces that touch raw meats.
• Thoroughly cook meat, poultry, and fish.

Clostridium botulinum

How It Attacks:

Often occurs in home-canned or any canned goods showing warning signs--clear liquids turned milky, cracked jars, loose lids, swollen or dented cans or lids.  Beware of any jar or can that spurts liquid or has an off-odor when opened.

Symptoms:

In 12-48 hours your nervous system could be affected. Symptoms include double vision, droopy eyelids, trouble speaking and swallowing, difficult breathing.  Untreated, botulism can be fatal.

Prevention:

Carefully examine home-canned goods before use, and:

• Don't use any canned goods showing danger signs.
• If you or a family member has botulism symptoms, get medical help
  immediately. Call health authorities immediately and ask whether and
  how food should be saved for examination.

Note: While the chart highlights the preventive measures most important in avoiding each type of bacteria, you should understand that all the rules of prevention should be followed with all food.