Food Poisoning Causes

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• QWhat increases my risk for food poisoning?

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  A RealAge answered

  Nearly 1 out of every 5 cases of diarrhea is due to food poisoning. And the average US person will have some type of food poisoning about every three to four years. People with weak immune systems are especially at risk. Children, the elderly, and pregnant women are also at heightened risk for contracting foodborne illness and suffering complications from it. Other things that raise your risk include:

  • Not cooking food (especially meat and eggs) thoroughly
  • Leaving food out for more than two hours after cooking
  • Cutting vegetables and raw meat with the same knife or on the same cutting board
  • Not washing your hands well when preparing food, or eating food prepared by someone who didn't wash their hands

  Eating food before its "best by" or "use by" date is helpful, but does not guarantee the food is safe. Always make sure your food is stored properly, cooked properly and looks and smells as it ought to.
• QWhat can cause foodborne illnesses?

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  A Dr. Michael T. Murray, ND , Naturopathic Medicine, answered

  More than 250 different organisms have been documented as being capable of causing food borne illness, including a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. However, poisoning can also occur due to ingestion of harmful toxins or chemicals from organisms that have contaminated the food. For example, botulism occurs when the bacterium Clostridium botulinum grows in foods and produces a powerful paralytic toxin. The botulism toxin can produce illness even if the bacteria are no longer there. Most of the microorganisms that cause food borne infections are those commonly present in the intestinal tracts of healthy animals. Meat and poultry can become contaminated during slaughter by contact with even small amounts of intestinal contents, while fresh fruits and vegetables can be contaminated if they are washed or irrigated with water that is contaminated with animal manure or human sewage.

• QWhy is there more food poisoning during the summer?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  The answer to this is actually really straightforward, when you think about it. Summertime is a great time of year, when people are having BBQs, potlucks, and other gatherings at outdoor venues. The temperatures outside are warm, and this creates the perfect breeding ground for the most common bacteria that cause food poisoning. The most important thing you can do to combat this is make sure foods that should stay cold stay cold, and likewise with foods that should be warm.

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• QAm I more likely to get food poisoning in the summer?

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  A Dr. Leigh Vinocur, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  During the summer season, emergency doctors see a spike in food-borne illnesses – more commonly known as food poisoning.
  There are 2 factors that contribute to this rise and provide the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and multiply on food. First, summer’s warmer weather and humidity increase the amount of germs or bacteria that naturally grow in water, air and soil.  Secondly, when we are dining outdoors, we don’t have refrigeration’s well-controlled temperatures and cooking on the grill is not as temperature regulated as an oven.

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• QWhat are the bacteria that cause food poisoning?

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  A Dr. Leigh Vinocur, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  Three of the more common bacteria that cause food poisoning are Staph food poisoning, E Coli food poisoning and Salmonella food poisoning.
  
  
• QIs the 5-second rule true?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  A new study may put an end to the 5-second rule, while other researchers have proven that some foods can remain germ-free for up to a minute. Learn what doctors think of the 5-second rule in this video of Dr. Oz, Dr. Corey Hebert, Dr. Donnica Moore, an Dr. Janet Taylor.
  
  
  

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  Is the 5-Second Rule True?
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• QWhat are the causes of food poisoning in restaurants?

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  A Dr. Arthur W. Perry, MD , Cosmetic Surgery, answered

  E coli cases are often caused by food workers not washing their hands after going to the bathroom. And Salmonella cases commonly result from placing cooked food on surfaces where raw chicken sat. Both of these bacteria can cause severe diarrhea and fever, and can be deadly in weakened people like children, the elderly, and those with other diseases.
  
  Unlike many other diseases, foodborne illness is entirely preventable. If those dangerous bacteria were purple colored, restaurants would clean better, because people would see purple stains all over their food and around the restaurant. But because they're invisible, restaurants are getting away with murder.
• QHow can kitchen sponges cause food poisoning?

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  A Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics answered

  A smelly, wet kitchen sponge is a sure sign of one thing: bacteria. Reusing a sponge that's contaminated is dirty business. You can easily spread bacteria to other kitchen surfaces and utensils, increasing your chances of foodborne illness or food poisoning.
• QHow can reusable grocery bags cause food poisoning?

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  A Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  Unfortunately, only 15 percent of Americans wash their reusable tote bags on a regular basis, according to a survey conducted by the Home Food Safety program, collaboration between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and ConAgra Foods.

  Putting raw meat and poultry along with fresh veggies in the bag could cause cross contamination. The bacteria-containing raw meat and poultry drippings could easily cross contaminate the fresh produce in the same bag. While the meat and poultry will be cooked, the fresh produce may not be setting the stage for food poisoning.

  With 48 million Americans affected annually by food poisoning caused by salmonella, listeria, and E. coli, this shopping habit not only illustrates the potential cross contamination of bacteria-containing meats and poultry with fresh produce but also the potential of infecting the bag for future outings.

  Separating tote bags (one for raw meats, fish, and poultry and another for fresh produce) as well as washing the bags after each outing seems like an easy way to prevent a potential risk of contracting foodborne illness.