Food Poisoning

Food is a necessary component of living organisms. Energy from it is essential for carrying out everyday activities. The ability to fight against disease is boosted by it. It is because of this that it is more important to eat the right foods at the right time. We consume food that sometimes grows microorganisms. The contamination of food is a result of these microorganisms multiplying and releasing toxic substances.

Detailed information about food poisoning is given in the following sections.

Causes of Food Poisoning

The following three factors can cause food poisoning:

1. Bacteria

Bacteria are usually responsible for food poisoning. A common cause of food poisoning in the United States is Salmonella. Food poisoning can also be caused by Campylobacter and Clostridium botulinum.

2. Viruses

In addition to noroviruses, sapoviruses, rotaviruses, and astra viruses are responsible for food poisoning. Although less common, food poisoning caused by viruses can be lethal. Food poisoning can lead to the dangerous hepatitis A virus.

3. Parasites

Parasites are very rare causes of food poisoning. The toxoplasma bacteria found in cat litter boxes are a frequent cause of food poisoning.

Growing, harvesting, and storing food can also lead to food contamination. The harmful organisms transfer from one surface to the other and result in food contamination. It is more important to watch out for raw, ready-to-cook food products. Food poisoning occurs as a result of these foods not being cooked, which does not destroy the pathogens.

Food Poisoning Symptoms

Food poisoning symptoms include a number of the following symptoms:

• Weakness

• Headache

• Nausea

• Diarrhoea

• Vomiting

• Irritable abdominal cramps

• Mild fever

• Loss of appetite

Treatment 

A person suffering from food poisoning should receive the following treatment:

• You will need to drink plenty of liquid to replace electrolytes lost

• Regardless of how long vomiting persists, sip small amounts of water or let ice cubes melt in your mouth.

• Slowly begin to consume blander foods such as cereals, toast, rice, bananas, etc.

How to Prevent Contamination of Food?

It is very important to preserve food properly in order to prevent contamination. We can preserve food by slowing the oxidation of fat and inhibiting the growth of microorganisms on it.

Whole grains and cooked foods require different storage and preservation methods. Because bacteria breed in moist environments and whole-food typically lacks moisture, they tend to attack cooked food. Due to this reason, left unused bread will be infested by microbes under moist conditions.

As well as visible changes in food, food contaminated with the disease has a foul smell and tastes different.

Modes of Preservation

The following methods can be used to protect food from contamination when it is preserved.

Chemical Method

The method of preserving food using preservatives checks microbial activity. Pickles, squashes, jams, canned food, etc., contain preservatives that prevent food from spoiling. Some preservatives include:

• Salt

• Edible Oils

• Sodium benzoate

• Sodium metabisulphite

Preservation by Common Salt

Water has a tendency to be absorbed by salt, which helps remove water from food. The absence of water inhibits the growth of microbes. The salt in fish and meat prevents microbial growth by removing moisture content. Tamarind and raw mangoes are also seasoned with salt. The process of pickling uses a salt solution known as brine.

Preservation by Sugar

Salt, sugar, and other soluble substances absorb moisture from foods, leaving them too dry for microbes to survive. Sugar is often added to preserve food items, such as jams and jellies. Using pure sugar as a desiccant is known as sugaring. After dehydrating food, it is then packed with pure sugar. Preserving food with sugar is a common practice; some fruits are preserved in this manner. Sugar can also be used to preserve meat and fish.

Preservation by Oil and Vinegar

Food is often preserved by frying or cooking it in edible oil. Vinegar and oil prevent pickles from spoiling. The oil also preserves fruits and vegetables from rotting. Because vinegar has an acidity level or pH level that prevents microbial activity, it can slow down the spoilage of food over time.

Hot and Cold Treatments

One method of food preservation is to boil milk and food before storing them. When foods are pasteurized, they are heated to 70 degrees Celsius for 15-30 seconds, then suddenly cooled and stored. Milk, thus, does not have to be boiled because microorganisms are absent. Food items such as meat are preserved in the freezer by freezing them at a low temperature to prevent microbes from attacking.