Watermet Foods

The cause for food poisoning to some is consuming spoiled food which has unhealthy and perilous bacteria in it.  Food poisoning accounts for 76 million indispositions, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year.

Around 250 diseases are there around which can cause infection to people through food but out of them twoo are major and overarching types of food poisoning.   Viruses, bacteria, and parasites called  “infectious agents” is one way.  ”Toxic Agents” is another way through which food poisoning occurs.  The list includes mushrooms, foods that are not properly or fully prepared, and incompletely cleaned foods which still contain things like pesticide.  One of best ways to prevent food poisoning is through high levels of sanitation and hygiene.

There are several symptoms and effects of food poisoning as it is so intricate and there are 250 ways of diseases caused by food poisoning and as many “infectious agents”. A partial of symptoms includes:
·    nausea
·    headaches
·    vomiting
·    abdominal pain
·    diarrhea (both watery and crampy as well as bloody and even mucusy)
·    fever
·    inflammation of internal organs
·    kidney failure
·    muscles aches
·    blurry vision
·    speech problems
·    bodily weakness
·    death

There are several ways by which doctors can test for food poisoning.  Most common tests are urine and blood tests that are needed.  Lastly, rectal exam also may be chosen by doctors.  In addition to these tests, common checks like breaking rate and blood pressure are also checked by doctors.

Inspite of its intricacies, food poisoning problem can be prevented by  people in many ways.  When shopping, they can avoid purchasing packages that appear open or torn, waiting until the end of their shopping trip to buy frozen or cold items and taking them home immediately, and avoiding contact between raw foods (like meat) and other foods.  Moreover, what is most important is cleanliness.  After going to the bathroom, it is important to wash hands.  Importantly, hands should be washed before dealing with uncooked foods and also after handling them.  When actually cooking food, people can also take a number of steps to avoid food poisoning.  A meat thermometer should be used to measure the temperature of the meat when cooking meat.   Also, eating leftovers within four days is a good precaution.  Lastly, food should not be left for more than two hours outside so that it does not get spoiled.

Sometimes, people who get poisoned by food do not have control over whether they get poisoned or not.  Especially, someone falls since after eating in a restaurant, it is the fault of restaurant.  The chefs may not have cooked the food completely.  Precautions like washing hands after using toilet, or before and after handling food may not have been taken by them or others.  The restaurant may have spoiled ingredients.  {However,  it is because of the mistake committed by others that this person has fallen sick through food poisoning.

Keeping food out of the temperature range (40-140 degrees) where bacteria grow easily and quickly; keeping HOT and COLD foods as it is besides remember the famous proverb, “When in doubt, throw it out”!.

Food poisoning is more common in areas with poor sanitation or living conditions (often occurs in community feasts, cooked and served under unhygienic conditions or food stored under such conditions for several hours). Most cases of food poisoning are from common bacteria like Staphylococcus or E. coli

What Is Food Poisoning

Food poisoning refers to poisoning that occurs due to eating foods contaminated with toxins or poisonous substances secreted by some bacteria. Contaminated food or water infected with or carrying micro-organisms can food poisoning. Improper cleaning and washing of fruits and vegetables, and improper cooking of food can also cause food poisoning.

What are the Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning generally occurs within 2 to 3 hours of eating or drinking infected food or water. However it may also occur earlier or later. The symptoms include nausea or a feeling of vomiting, vomiting, pain in the abdomen and diarrhoea. Other symptoms are fever, cold sweats, weakness, headache and dehydration.

Types of Food Poisoning

1.Bacterial food poisoning – Here the micro organisms called bacteria are responsible.The food material may contain the pathogenic bacteriae or their toxin and will be ingested along with the food.

2.Non bacterial food poisoning – Due to the presence of toxic chemicals like fertilizers, insectisides, heavy metals and ect.Since bacterial food poisoning is common it is discussed here.

3.Bacterial food poisoning – All bacteria are not harmful.There are some pathogenic bacteria which secrete toxins and cause clinical manifestations.These organisms enter the human body through food articles or drinks.

How Food Poisoning Occurs

1.Presence of bacteria in the water.

2.The raw materials for the food may contain toxins.

3.Premises where the food is prepared may contain micro organisms or toxins.

4.Food handlers may have some infectious diseases.

5.Some animals like dogs,rats may contaminate the food.

6.If prepared food is kept in the room temperature for a long time and heated again can make a chance for food poisoning.

7.Purposely some body mixing toxins in the food.

Some Common Bacterial Food Poisonings

1.Salmonella food poisoning – There are three different varieties of salmonella bacteria.(salmonella typhimurium,salmonella cholera suis,salmonella enteritidis) These bacteria are present in milk, milk products and eggs. Symptoms of this food poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Fever is also common.

2.Botulism – This is the dangerous type of food poisoning caused by clostridium botulinum. The spores of these organisms are seen in the soil and enters the human body through pickles and canned fish ect.Compared to other food poisonings here vomiting and diarrhoea are rare Mainly the nervous system is affected.The symptoms starts with double vision,numbness with weakness.Later there will be paralysis with cardiac and respiratory failure ending in death.

3.Staphylococcal food poisoning – It is caused by staphylo coccus aureus. These organisms usually cause skin troubles like boils and eruptions.It causes mastitis in cow.Through the milk and milk products it enders and causes gastroenteritis.There will be vomiting,abdominal cramps with diarrhoea.

4.Closteridium food poisoning – This is caused by closteridium perfringens.They are present in stool,soil and water. They enter the body through,meat,meat dishes and egg ect.If food articles are cooked and kept in room temperature for a long time and heated again before eating can result this food poisoning.Symptoms include vomiting ,diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

5.Bacillus cereus – The spores of these organisms can survive cooking and causes enteritis. Diarrhoea and vomiting is common in this infection.

How to Investigate Food Poisoning?

1.Examine each and every person affected.

2.Water sample should be tested.

3.Kitchen, store room and food samples should be examined.

4.The cook and food handlers should be questioned and examined.

5.Samples of vomitus and stool of all victims should be tested to identify the bacteria.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning

1.Only purified water should be used.

2.Hygiene should be maintained by all persons keeping contact with food.

3.Workers should use masks, cap and gloves during cooking and serving.

4.Sick individuals should not come in contact with food materials.

5.Kitchen and premises should be neat and clean.

6.Utensils should be washed with soap and hot water.

7.Should not keep the prepared food for a long time in room temperature.

8.All food materials should be kept in closed containers.

9.Animals like dog, cat, rat ect should not come in contact with food materials.

10.Vegetables should be washed before cooking.

11.Meat should be fresh and should be purchased from recognised slaughter house.

Food poisoning is a common, usually mild, but sometimes deadly illness. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that occur suddenly (within 48 hours) after consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools,dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow.

It is the result of eating food contaminated with bacteria or other toxins. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, and generally start 4 – 36 hours after eating contaminated food.

While many cases are caused by bacteria, some cases can result from eating poisonous plants (some mushrooms, for instance) and animals (pufferfish). Food poisoning is not uncommon, especially during summer when food may not be kept cold enough to prevent bacteria from growing.

Causes of food poisoning:

Contamination of food can happen at any point during its production: growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparing. Cross-contamination — the transfer of harmful organisms from one surface to another — is often the cause. This is especially troublesome for raw, ready-to-eat foods, such as salads or other produce

Poor personal hygiene, improper cleaning of storage and preparation areas and unclean utensils cause contamination of raw and cooked foods.

Mishandling of raw and cooked foods allows bacteria to grow. The temperature range in which most bacteria grow is between 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) and 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Raw and cooked foods should not be kept in this danger zone any longer than absolutely necessary.

Undercooking or improper processing of home-canned foods can cause very serious food poisoning.

Since food-poisoning bacteria are often present on many foods, knowing the characteristics of such bacteria is essential to an effective control program.

Preventive measures for food poisoniong:

The first step in preventing food poisoning is to assume that all foods may cause food-borne illness. Follow these steps to prevent food poisoning:

Wash hands, food preparation surfaces and utensils thoroughly before and after handling raw foods to prevent recontamination of cooked foods.

Keep refrigerated foods below 40 degrees F.

Serve hot foods immediately or keep them heated above 140 degrees F.

Divide large volumes of food into small portions for rapid cooling in the refrigerator. Hot, bulky foods in the refrigerator can raise the temperature of foods already cooled.

Some self care tips:

Food poisoning can be prevented by thoroughly cooking food and practicing good hygiene.

A meat thermometer is a good way to ensure meats are cooked to the proper internal temperature.

Store uncooked food in a refrigerator or freezer at the proper temperature, and never defrost food at room temperature.

If food smells or looks bad, throw it away.

Be sure to clean surfaces such as countertops, cutting boards, plates, and utensils properly whenever they contact raw meats.

Don’t let cooked food contact any surfaces that may have been contaminated by raw food. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them raw, and buy only pasteurized dairy products.

Treatment :

People with food poisoning should modify their diet during the period of illness. They should drink clear liquids frequently, but in small amounts. As their condition improves, soft, bland foods can be added to the diet.

A commonly recommended diet is called the BRAT diet. The BRAT diet gets its name from the four foods it includes: banana, rice, applesauce, and toast.

Milk products, spicy food, alcohol, and fresh fruit should be avoided until all symptoms disappear. These dietary changes are often the only treatment necessary for food poisoning.

Food poisoning is a general term for health problems arising from eating contaminated food. There are different ways for food getting contaminated and they are by bacteria, viruses, environmental toxins or pesticides etc.. The symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and nausea are generally attributed to the food poisoning.

The presence of poisonous substances like bacteria, fungus or toxins in the food will result food poisoning symptoms. Now a days food poisoning is very common as our vicinity is fully filled with bacteria. You may have had mild food poisoning – with diarrhea and an upset stomach – but your mom or dad just called it a stomach bug or stomach virus.

Symptoms

Whenever you were affected with food poisoning, generally doctor will first diagonise for the symptoms like upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration, to more severe illness such as paralysis and meningitis. The confirmation test for food poisoning is testing the stool which finalizes whether the person is suffering from food poisoning?.

Most food poisoning effects (symptoms) on body clear up in a few days on its own. It should not be neglected if food poisoning illness is continued for more days and immediately medical attention should be given. The probability of food poison is more for children, elders, pregnant women and persons who use antacids heavily .
Causes

Consumption of contaminated food is the main source for food poisoning to an individual. These agents can include toxins, bacteria, viruses, or parasites. All contaminants are not food poisoning agents and there are more than 250 agents that causes food poisoning. No doubt the most populated bacteria is the prime agent for food poisoning. The most prevalent types of food-borne bacteria are E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter, and Shigella. The symptoms from consumption of food poisoned by bacteria appear only after 12 to 72 hours of consumption.

Poor sanitation or preparation leads to food contamination. If food handlers are not properly cleaning their hands after using toilets will certainly contaminate food. Improperly packaged food stored at the wrong temperature also promotes contamination.

Treatment

It is practically proved that without any treatment the symptoms of food poisoning disappear shortly. If symptoms are severe or persist for more than 3-4 days, talk to your doctor. But in the case of children and aged persons medical attention must be sought immediately. Keep a sample of any remaining food as well as a sample of the patient’s feces, which can be tested for the presence of infectious microorganisms. If the cause is non-infectious, such as poisonous mushrooms, you may need to be treated urgently to eliminate the poison from your body.

Treatment of food poisoning is usually aimed at preventing dehydration. In severe cases fluids and salts may be administered intravenously in hospital. Appropriate antibiotics are used depends upon the poisonous bacteria present in the food. Patients usually recover quite rapidly from an attack of food poisoning and rarely experience long lasting health consequences. In very rare cases, there is a risk of septicemia if bacteria spread into the blood stream. Both dehydration and septicemia can cause shock – a condition that is sometimes fatal. For more information on signs of food poisoning go to foodpoisoning.com.