Ugh. We’ve all been there at some point: that unsettled, nauseous feeling after a meal, those clammy hands, that sweaty brow. We know it in our gut before we want to acknowledge it in our minds— something we ate just wasn’t right. We wish we could go back in time, but we usually just have to wait it out and suffer some pretty unpleasant symptoms.
Food poisoning occurs when we eat food that is contaminated with harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses or toxins. It affects approximately 1 in 6 Americans each year— about 48 million people. Though you can usually wait the symptoms, sometimes food poisoning can be dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimates that foodborne illnesses cause 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths every year, usually as a result of dehydration caused by severe vomiting and diarrhea.
While there are a variety of precautions to take to avoid the riskiest foods, some harmful bacteria can unknowingly make its way into our meals. Plus, some people are also more susceptible to food poisoning, including pregnant women, young children, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system or existing food allergies.
Here, we’ll discuss some of the main causes of foodborne illness. If intense symptoms persist for more than a few days, you should think about a visit to your urgent care provider.
Expired Foods
Have you ever eaten an item from the fridge, only to realize after the fact that the “use by” date on the package was months before? It happens. Chances are, you felt fine afterwards— expiration dates can vary widely across different food groups, and don’t always indicate that food is no longer safe to eat once that date passes. To truly gauge whether or not your groceries should be tossed, experts suggest using your senses: spoiled foods will usually look different in color and texture, give off unpleasant odors and taste bad.
It’s also helpful to remember that foodborne illness comes from contamination, not the natural process of decay. Since bacteria thrive at warmer temperatures, consider if your meat, eggs or dairy products have been left at room temperature for more than two hours. If so, it might be a good idea to throw them away. Non perishable items and canned foods should still be safe to eat.
Raw meat and eggs
While the rules here may seem self-explanatory, it’s still a good idea to brush up on food safety when it comes to perishables like meat and eggs. Raw or lightly-cooked eggs can contain salmonella, a bacteria that is responsible for 1.35 million infections a year, according to the CDC.
Similarly, raw meat, fish and poultry— while sometimes delicacies— can contain bacteria or parasites that can make you sick. If you’re part of a demographic that’s more susceptible to food poisoning, it’s a good idea to skip sushi, beef tartare and ceviche in favor of well-cooked alternatives. Additionally, make sure that any tools and surfaces that have been used to prepare raw meat or eggs are properly washed with soap and hot water.
Raw flour
Even though flour doesn’t seem like a “raw” food the same way meat or eggs do, all uncooked flour is, in fact, raw— meaning it hasn’t been treated to kill the germs that commonly cause food poisoning. Harmful bacteria like E. Coli can contaminate grain well before it reaches your shelf, and processes like grinding or bleaching won’t clean it. So, as fun as it always is to sample the batter, be on the safe side. Cook or bake your flour first, and check any flour mixes in your pantry to make sure they haven’t recently been recalled.
Unpasteurized dairy products
In 1864, Louis Pasteur developed a method of heating beverages like milk, beer and wine to kill harmful bacteria and extend their shelf lives. With the popularity of pasteurization nowadays, few people get sick from milk. But untreated varieties still exist, and can contain harmful contaminants that simply come from milk-producing animals like cows or goats, farming environments, or even the drugs used to treat the animals when they’re sick. To avoid those risks, stick to your usual supermarket milk options.
Unwashed Produce
While raw fruits and vegetables don’t come with the same obvious dangers as raw meat, it’s still a good idea to wash them thoroughly before consumption, as they can contain strains of Salmonella, E. Coli and Listeria.
Common Underlying Causes
A few different strains of bacteria are responsible for the vast majority of foodborne illness. Though we’ve touched on a few of them here already, below is a more comprehensive list, including what foods they’re most commonly associated with.
- Botulism is a rare but serious illness, characterized by breathing difficulties, muscle paralysis and even death, that’s usually caused by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. While bacteria that causes Botulism can naturally occur in a variety of places without making people sick, improperly home-canned, preserved or fermented foods can create the right conditions for them to grow. Find more information on Botulism here.
- Campylobacter is a bacterial infection that can result from eating raw or undercooked poultry or drinking untreated water. It’s one of the most common bacterial diarrheal illness in the United States. While most people can recover on their own, some need antibiotics.
- E. coli, short for Escherichia coli, is a name you’ve probably heard on the news, as it sometimes causes mass recalls of produce like vegetables or meat. Most types of E. coli are harmless when consumed, but a few strains can lead to stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. To avoid any potential risk, be wary of unwashed raw vegetables, and stay away from undercooked ground beef.
- Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause Listeriosis, a serious infection that can be especially severe for newborns, older adults, pregnant women and anyone who’s immunocompromised. Symptoms can include fever and diarrhea similar to other foodborne illnesses. Risky foods include soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, raw sprouts, cold cuts, deli meat and smoked fish. Follow these CDC guidelines to protect yourself and your family.
- Salmonella is most commonly associated with raw and undercooked eggs, though it can also be transmitted through raw meat, poultry, seafood and unpasteurized dairy products. Since it lives in the intestines of animals and people, it can be present in feces — which can unfortunately make its way into our food in trace amounts. The best method of prevention is to cook these foods at high temperatures before eating, to kill off any lingering bacteria. Unsure if you have a salmonella infection? Take a look at the main symptoms here.
- Shigella is a bacteria that can spread easily from one person to another— often from hands that have touched surfaces that have been contaminated with feces. Always wash your hands after changing diapers and caring for sick people, and take care to wash fresh produce, as animal feces can be present in the fields where food is grown. Infections are most common in young children, or in travelers who have visited places without treated tap water or adequate sanitation. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea and stomach cramps, which can vary in severity depending on the person.
- Intestinal viruses, including rotavirus and adenovirus (common in children) and norovirus (common in adults) cause the “stomach flu”— also known as viral gastroenteritis. While symptoms are pretty consistent with foodborne illnesses, many cases of viral gastroenteritis are not necessarily caused by something we ate. More likely, an infected person has spread the virus by touching food or popular surfaces without properly washing their hands. These viruses usually don’t require specific treatment. Just remember to drink plenty of fluids.
Though food poisoning can sometimes catch us off guard, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help naturally boost our immune systems, making infections less severe or helping us bounce back faster. As always, consult your healthcare professional before making any big changes to your daily routine.