Food born illnesses

Home Food born illnesses

Food born illnesses

Exposure to food contaminants of chemical, physical, and biological origin can cause adverse health effects in humans.

The physical and biological contaminations can lead to exposure to microorganisms such as bacterial, viral, and other parasites that can either cause adverse health effects directly or produce toxins that lead to food poisoning. In general, foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins from bacteria and molds. The difference between foodborne illnesses and food poisoning is that foodborne illnesses describe all illnesses from contaminated food or beverage, while food poisoning is an illness caused specifically, by toxin produced from bacteria or mold.

Contamination can occur in the food systems from growing, harvesting or catching, processing, storing, shipping, or preparing. Food can be contaminated at any time from food production (farm or fishery) to table.

Exposure to harmful contaminants can be through poor hand washing practices especially after visiting the toilet or helping a child in the toilet. The contaminants can either reach the stomach directly from the unwashed hand or be transmitted to the food during food preparation and food serving. Other sources of food contamination can be not cleaning and disinfecting food preparation areas and utensils used for food preparation and serving. Last but not least cause of food contamination is improper storage practices.

Disease cause
Timing of symptoms
Common sources
Bacillus cereus (bacterium) 30 minutes to 15 hours. Foods such as rice, leftovers, sauces, soups, meats and others that have sat out at room temperature too long.
Campylobacter (bacterium) 2 to 5 days. Raw or undercooked poultry, shellfish, unpasteurized milk, and contaminated water.
Clostridium botulinum (bacterium) 18 to 36 hours. Infants: 3 to 30 days. For infants, honey. Home-preserved foods including canned foods, fermented fish, fermented beans and alcohol. Commercial canned foods and oils infused with herbs.
Clostridium perfringens (bacterium) 6 to 24 hours. Meats, poultry, stews and gravies. Commonly, food that is not kept hot enough when served to a large group. Food left out at room temperature too long.
Escherichia coli, commonly called E. coli (bacterium) Usually, 3 to 4 days. Possibly, 1 to 10 days. Raw or undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk or juice, soft cheeses from unpasteurized milk, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Contaminated water. Feces of people with E. coli.
Giardia lamblia (parasite) 1 to 2 weeks. Food and water contaminated with feces that carry the parasite. Food handlers who are carriers of the parasite.
Hepatitis A (virus) 15 to 50 days. Raw and undercooked shellfish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other uncooked food. Food and water contaminated with human feces. Food handlers who have hepatitis A.
Listeria (bacterium) 9 to 48 hours for digestive disease. 1 to 4 weeks for body-wide disease. Hot dogs, luncheon meats, unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses from unpasteurized milk, refrigerated smoked fish, refrigerated pates or meat spreads, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Norovirus (virus) 12 to 48 hours. Shellfish and fresh fruits and vegetables. Ready-to-eat foods, such as salads and sandwiches, touched by food handlers with the virus. Food or water contaminated with vomit or feces of a person with the virus.
Rotavirus (virus) 18 to 36 hours. Food, water or objects, such as faucet handles or utensils, contaminated with the virus.
Salmonella (bacterium) 6 hours to 6 days. Most often poultry, eggs and dairy products. Other foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, nuts, nut products, and spices.
Shellfish poisoning (toxin) Usually 30 to 60 minutes, up to 24 hours. Shellfish, including cooked shellfish, from coastal seawater contaminated with toxins.
Shigella (bacterium) Usually, 1 to 2 days. Up to 7 days. Contact with a person who is sick. Food or water contaminated with human feces. Often ready-to-eat food handled by a food worker with shigella.
Staphylococcus aureus (bacterium) 30 minutes to 8 hours. Meat, egg salad, potato salad or cream-filled pastries that have been left out too long or not refrigerated. Foods handled by a person with the bacteria, which is often found on skin.
Vibrio (bacterium) 2 to 48 hours. Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, especially oysters. Water contaminated with sewage. Rice, millet, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Safe temperatures for storage and preparation of food are 60 C and above for cooked food, storage up to 4 days at temperature below 4 C and freeze storage at temperature -18 and below

Prevention of food poisoning at home:
  • Handwashing. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, after toilet visits, before eating, and before and after handling food.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, peeling or preparing.
  • Wash kitchen utensils thoroughly. Wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils with soapy, use separate utensils for raw eaten foods, for fruits and vegetable and for meat poultry, fish.
  • Don't eat raw or undercooked meat or fish. Safe temperatures area
  • Refrigerate or freeze leftovers. If leftovers are to be eaten within 3-4 days store left overs in closed containers at temperature less than 4 ◦C.
  • Throw out mouldy food. Throw out any baked foods Kicha and ingera, any soft fruits and vegetables, and any nuts or nut products with mold.
  • Clean your refrigerator. Clean the inside of the refrigerator regularly at least 4-6 times a year using a cleaning solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda per litter of water. And clean visible mold in the refrigerator or on the door seals using1 tablespoon of bleach per litter) of water.