Food poisoning may arise from improper handling, handling, and storage of food items.
Rice, leafy greens, and animal products are some items that should be prepared with extra caution as they frequently result in food poisoning.
When humans eat food infected with dangerous bacteria, parasites, viruses, or poisons, it can lead to food poisoning.
Often called a foodborne sickness, it can cause a variety of symptoms, the most frequent of which are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite, followed by stomach cramps.Food poisoning is more common in the elderly, small children, pregnant women, and those with long-term medical conditions.
More often than not, food poisoning is caused by certain foods, particularly when they are not properly prepared, cooked, or kept.
The top 9 foods that increase the risk of food poisoning are listed below.
Poultry
Poultry, including chicken, duck, and turkey, that is raw or undercooked poses a significant risk of food illness.
This is mainly due to two types of bacteria, Campylobacter and Salmonella, which are commonly found in the guts and feathers of these birds.
During the butchering process,these bacteria frequently contaminate fresh poultry flesh, and they might persist until heating destroys them.
In fact, research from the UK, US and Ireland found that 41–84% of raw chicken sold in supermarkets was contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria and 4–5% was contaminated with Salmonella.
The rates of Campylobacter contamination were slightly lower in raw turkey meat, ranging from 14–56%, while the contamination rate for raw duck meat was 36%
Fortunately, although these dangerous bacteria can survive on raw poultry, cooking meat entirely eradicates them.
Make sure chicken meat is well cooked, avoid washing raw meat, and make sure raw meat doesn’t come into contact with cutlery or kitchen surfaces to lower your risk.
chopping boards and other foods, since this can result in cross-contamination .
Vegetables and Leafy Greens
Especially when consumed uncooked, vegetables and leafy greens are frequently the source of food illness.
Indeed, fruits and vegetables—lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, and tomatoes in particular—have been linked to some cases of food poisoning.
Leafy greens and vegetables can get contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms like E.
Salmonella and Listeria. This can occur across various stages of the supply chain.
Fruits and vegetables are cultivated in soil that may become contaminated due to contaminated runoff and dirty water.
Unsanitary food preparation methods and soiled processing equipment might potentially be the cause of it. Because leafy greens are frequently eaten raw, they pose a particular risk.Especially when consumed uncooked, vegetables and leafy greens are frequently the source of food illness.
Indeed, fruits and vegetables—lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, and tomatoes in particular—have been linked to some cases of food poisoning.
Leafy greens and vegetables can get contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms like E.
In fact, between 1973 and 2012, 85% of the food poisoning outbreaks in the US that were caused by leafy greens such as cabbage, kale, lettuce and spinach were traced
returning to food that is cooked in a caterer or restaurant setting.
Always properly wash salad leaves before eating to reduce your risk.
Do not purchase bags of salad mix that contain spoiled, mushy leaves and avoid pre-prepared salads that have been left to sit at room temperature.
Fish and Shellfish
Fish and shellfish are a common source of food poisoning.
Histamine is a toxin that fish microorganisms create, and it can contaminate fish that has not been preserved at the proper temperature.
Numerous symptoms are brought on by it, including as nausea, wheezing, and tongue and facial swelling.
Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is another form of food poisoning brought on by infected seafood. Ciguatoxin, a toxin primarily present in warm, tropical waters, is the cause of this.
Estimates suggest that between 10,000 and 50,000 persons who travel or reside in tropical regions annually contract CFP.
Like histamine, it is not destroyed by normal cooking temperatures and therefore the harmful toxins are present after cooking.
Food poisoning is another possibility associated with shellfish, including clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. Many poisons are produced by algae that shellfish eat, and these toxins can accumulate in the flesh of the fish, endangering humans who eat the fish.
