Food poisoning

FOOD POISONING

My topic is about food poisoning. Food poisoning is defined as any disease of an infection or toxic nature caused by any food or drink. And you might be asking yourself what would happen to your body if you would get food poisoning? Well, you will get many things that you can’t imagine. You will get diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, nausea, and dizziness. But we need to know what causes food poisoning. Well, it is because of either poor health conditions or under cooked food. Food poisoning is a very dangerous bacteria. You want me to tell you on how many different types of food poisoning there is? I can tell you that right away! But they might sound funny or confusing to you because they have names you never heard before. The different types are the Campylobacter the barbeque bacteria, the Salmonella the raw egg and raw meat bacteria, the E coli the raw and uncooked meat bacteria and finally, the Listeria the bad smelly and unhealthy cheese bacteria. All these food poisoning bacterias are in all the bad, unhealthy and uncooked food. And if anyone of you really likes to eat cheese, you better watch out! Next we need to answer on How do you prevent getting food poisoning. So here we go! Here is a list that can tell you everything.

·           Make sure that food from animal sources (meat, dairy, eggs) is cooked thoroughly or pasteurized. Using a thermometer is recommended.

·         Avoid eating raw or undercooked meats and eggs. Check expiration dates on meats before purchasing and again before preparing.

·         Carefully select and prepare fish and shellfish to ensure quality and freshness.

·         If you are served an undercooked meat or egg product in a restaurant, send it back for further cooking. You should also ask for a new plate.

·         Be careful to keep juices or drippings from raw meat, poultry, shellfish, or eggs from contaminating other foods.

·         Do not leave eggs, meats, poultry, seafood, or milk for extended periods of time at room temperature. Promptly refrigerate leftovers and food prepared in advance.

·         Wash your hands, cutting boards, and knives with antibacterial soap and warm to hot water after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs. Wooden cutting boards are not recommended since they can be harder to clean completely.

·         Avoid unpasteurized milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk.

·         Do not thaw foods at room temperature. Thaw foods in the refrigerator and use them promptly. Do not refreeze foods once they have been completely thawed.

·         Wash raw vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating, especially those that will not be cooked. Avoid eating alfalfa sprouts until their safety can be assured. Methods to decontaminate alfalfa seeds and sprouts are being investigated.

·         Drink only pasteurized juice or cider. Commercial juice with an extended shelf life that is sold at room temperature (juice in cardboard boxes, vacuum sealed juice in glass containers) has been pasteurized, although this is generally not indicated on the label. Juice concentrates are also heated sufficiently to kill bacteria.

·         Be aware of proper home-canning procedures. Instructions on safe home-canning can be obtained from county extension services or from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

·         If you are ill with diarrhea or vomiting, do not prepare food for others, especially infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems since they are more vulnerable to infection.

·         Wash hands with soap after handling reptiles, birds, or after contact with human or pet feces.

·         Mother's milk is the safest food for young infants. Breast-feeding may prevent many food borne illnesses and other health problems.

·         Those at high risk, such as pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, infants, and the elderly should also:

o    Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese. (Hard cheeses, processed cheeses, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt are safe.)

o    Cook foods until they are steaming hot, especially leftover foods or ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs, before eating.

o    Although the risk of food borne disease associated with foods from deli counters is relatively low, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems may choose to avoid these foods or thoroughly reheat cold cuts before eating.

And when you read this all, you will be an expert on how to prevent food poisoning!

And finally the last question: How can science be used to prevent or treat food poisoning? Let’s find out! You can stop food poisoning by finding recepts online and checking your house food before you start to cook.

So in conclusion, Food poisoning is a bacterium that is in food and drinks, has many different types of food poisoning and can be stopped.