Food poisoning is very common but preventable if precautions are taken. Check these slides to keep yourself aware of the possible complications and how they can be avoided.

1. Take Steps to Help Prevent
Food Poisoning
Food Safety
Education Month

2. What do we mean by Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning is simply a disease or illness caused by
consuming contaminated food or water. Bacteria, viruses,
parasites and such infectious organisms along with the
toxins they contain, are what cause food poisoning in
most cases. These contaminants can get into food at any
time of processing or production like cultivation,
harvesting, storage, shipping – even at home if the food is
not handled properly.
Food poisoning is the biggest cause of gastro enteritis; it
is fairly common, though very unpleasant. Usually it
subsides on its own, without medication, but in some
cases, it can lead to further complications.
Depending on the type of infectious organism that has
contaminated the food, symptoms can set in any time
from within 8 hours, to up to 28 days.

3. The most common symptoms of food poisoning are diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
Some people may also experience:
Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Abdominal
pain Bloating Indigestion
Loss of
appetite
Blood-tinged
urine
Bloody stools Continuous
vomiting

4. Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Headache Cramps Fever
Dehydration,
dry mouth,
inability to
pass urine
Blurry
vision,
dizziness,
light-
headedness
Anyone who experiences the last 5 symptoms mentioned above,
should seek immediate medical intervention.
Muscle
weakness
and tingling
in the arm

5. How Organisms Affect Different Foods
Contaminant Symptoms Appear Food affected, and transmission method
Campylobacter 2 to 5 days
Meat, poultry, (if animal feces come in contact with meat during
processing)contaminated water, unpasteurized milk.
Clostridium botulinum 12 – 17 hours
Improperly canned foods, salted or smoked fish, aluminum foil
baked potatoes, and food kept warm for too long.
Clostridium perfringens 8-16 hours
Gravies, stews, and meats; if food is not chilled quickly enough or
serving dishes fail to keep food warm enough.
E.Coli 1-8 days
Undercooked beef, or contaminated with feces at slaughtering;
apple cider, contaminated water, unpasteurized milk, alfalfa
sprouts.
Giardia Lamblia 1-2 weeks
Raw fruit and veggies or contaminated water; usually spread by
infected food handler.
Hepatitis A 28 days
Raw fruit and veggies, shellfish from contaminated water; usually
spread by infected food handler.

6. How Organisms Affect Different Foods
Listeria 9-48 hours
Raw fruit and veggies, luncheon meats, hot dogs, milk and cheese
that is not pasteurized; spread through contaminated water and
soil.
Noroviruses 12-48 hours
Raw fruit and veggies, luncheon meats, hot dogs, milk and cheese
that is not pasteurized; spread through contaminated water and
soil.
Rotavirus 1-3 days Raw fruits and veggies; spread by infected food handler
Salmonella 1-3 days
Contaminated or raw eggs, meat, poultry, or milk, especially if
undercooked. Spread by contaminated knives, or cutting surface,
and infected food handlers.
Shigella 24-48 hours Raw fruits and veggies, seafood; spread by infected food handlers.
Staphylococcus aureus 1-6 hours
Salads, cream filled pastries, cream sauces and meats. Spread by
coughing, sneezing, and contact by hand.
Vibrio vulnificus 1-7 days
Improperly cooked scallops, mussels, and oysters. Spread via
contaminated seawater.

7. Risk Factors
Not everyone who eats contaminated food is affected the same way. How sick you get can depend on your age, health,
and level of exposure to the contaminants. These people are more susceptible:
Infants and young children:
They have under-developed
immunity, and are therefore
incapable of fighting the invaders.
Older adults:
They too have a weakened immunity
and may not be able to fight off the
infectious organisms as before.
Pregnant women:
Due to the hormonal and metabolic
changes that take place in pregnancy,
pregnant women may have severe or
even extreme reactions to food poisoning.
Chronic Disease Patients:
Individuals with diabetes, heart disease,
AIDS, and cancer patients undergoing
chemo or radiation are also likely to have
decreased immunity and are likely to have
more severe reactions.

8. Complications
Dehydration is undoubtedly the most common risk factor; where the individual has severe loss of
essential minerals, salts, and water. It is crucial that you drink plenty of fluids when you have food
poisoning to prevent dehydration. Other serious complications are:
If a pregnant woman is exposed to this organism,
it could lead to miscarriage, premature birth or
stillbirth, or a deadly infection in the unborn
baby which presents after birth; the baby could
also have neurological damage and have
developmental delays.
Some strains of this organism can cause hemolytic
uremic syndrome – it harms the kidneys; to be
precise, the lining of small blood vessels in it, and
can even cause kidney failure. Anyone with
weakened immunity can develop this complication.
Medical help should be sought at the first sight of
continuous or blood-tinged diarrhea.
Listeria:
E.Coli:

9. Prevention
Food poisoning can be prevented with a little precaution. Here’s what you can do at home:
Wash your hands with soap
before and after handling or
cooking food. Always keep your
cooking/prepping surfaces, tools
and utensils clean – wash with
warm soapy water.
Store and prepare raw and ready
to eat foods separately; always
keep seafood, poultry and raw
meat separate from other foods
to prevent contamination.
Always wash raw fruits and
veggies thoroughly before
consuming them.
Defrost food properly – first in the
refrigerator, and then outside; if
you defrost food in your
microwave, make sure you’re
going to cook it immediately.

10. Prevention
If you have any doubts about any
food – if it smells funny, looks
different, or you’re unsure when
and how it was made, throw it out!
Cook foods thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, as proper cooking
destroys most of the harmful organisms.
When you buy perishable
foods, refrigerate or freeze
them immediately – within 1-
2 hours of purchase.
Ground beef
Steaks, chops, roasts (of pork, lamb etc.)
Chicken and turkey
Seafood
160F
145F
165F
Ensure thorough cooking

11. Prevention
Meat spreads and pates that
are refrigerated
People with weakened immunity due to any reason – chronic disease, age, medication, and so on, would do well to
avoid or severely limit these foods:
Raw or undercooked poultry
and meat
Inadequately cooked seafood,
including scallops, oysters,
mussels, etc.
Raw or semi-raw eggs, or stuff like
cookie dough (which contains raw
eggs)
Raw alfalfa sprouts, or radish,
clover, and bean sprouts
Juices, ciders, milk, and dairy
products that are not pasteurized
Brie, camembert, feta and other soft
cheeses, and blue-veined cheese
Cold cuts like hams, deli meats,
luncheon meats and raw sausages

12. THANK YOU
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