Food poisoning

Food borne illnesses are more common than we know. Most of us think it is the kind of ailment that strikes ‘other’ people, and because we keep hygienic eating habits, we are safe. But not many of us know that food poisoning can be caused by various factors outside our control. Many of these factors are introduced in the food chain during its manufacture or cultivation, some others during its packing and preservation and many more during its retail handling, storing or even end use (which means us!!). The figures are awesome; the US exchequer alone bears between USD 5 and 17 billion according to conservative estimates.

The cause behind these attacks could be chemicals, heavy metals, parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria, but each is as harmful as the other. The most common cause could well be identified as bacteria or fungus growth, microscopic in nature hence not easily detectable and the surprising thing is that it does not have to be filthy conditions or faulty storage only that triggers these. Among the bacterial culprits, the major villains are Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Entero-pathogenic Escherichia coli. These together are the cause of almost 90% of all food poisoning in the world. The presence of these bacteria is most common in raw food so in theory, food poisoning can be controlled if this load is controlled, reduced and prevented from re-contaminating. In practical situations, it is not always as easily done. In most cases, bad handling, unhygienic preparation conditions and contaminating utensils cause contamination to grow uncontrollably, especially in meats and meat products, where the contamination between raw and cooked foods can prove fatal.

An important thing to avoid is storage of food at day temperatures (between 40 degree F and 60 degree F), for long hours, for then even the most meticulously prepared food can be affected by bacterial overload. In common parlance, it can be said to start going stale, and eventually rotting. In highly flavored foods, the initial stages of turning stale may not be easy to detect, and that’s the weak point.

Food poisoning is most likely to attack persons with lowered immunity defenses, like young or newborn children, the elderly or pregnant women. It is advisable to attend to their symptoms immediately.

The earliest recognizable symptoms of food poisoning are abdominal pains, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever. However, the slightest hint of any of these symptoms should trigger an alarm in a healthy person. Sometimes, as the toxins are flushed out of the body, the poising takes care of itself, at other times; it is advisable to consult a medical practitioner before matters get out of hand. A rapidly strengthening bacterial attack can even prove fatal, so proper care needs to be taken.

A way out could be awareness of the typical characteristics of the bacterium involved, so their growth can be avoided.

The Staphylococcus aureus., for example, grows in open superficial wounds on human skin and respiratory tract. When it starts growing on foods, it can prove fatal, since the toxin it produces is not destroyed by heat, which means, it cannot be destroyed even by cooking. The commonest foods that suffer are those which require manual handling –potato salad, ham salad and sandwich spreads. The way out is constant refrigeration of these foods so the bacteria cannot grow on it and threaten to produce the toxins. Salmonella is most commonly associated with meat, poultry, fish eggs, and reaches humans by insufficient cooking. This is because it is commonly found in raw meats, but can be destroyed by cooking over 150 degrees F.

Clostridium perfringens is one dangerous spore that is heat resistant so can survive cooking, hence needs extra care. Meats, poultry dishes sauces and gravies are the common sources of this bacteria and the only way out is to either hold foods above 140 degrees F till they are consumed, or cool them rapidly, below 40 degree F. In common terms, ensure hot food is eaten hot, or chill it quickly, dividing into small portions if possible. Another culprit is Clostridium botulinum, which accounts for a very small percentage of food poisoning cases, but is known to prove fatal in 30% of the cases. Botulism has been found to occur most in home canned food consumption cases. The telltale signs are a bulging can or bad odor. The good news is that the botulinum toxin can be destroyed by heating for about 10 minutes at high temperatures.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the bacteria responsible for seafood poisoning. It is caused mostly by insufficient cooking or wrong temperature storage of seafood and can be avoided by proper cooking and refrigeration. It is difficult to avoid in raw seafood cuisines (and we really do not have any alternate ideas for Sushi lovers.)
Potatoes, rice, macaroni and other starchy foods are at risk of Bacillus cereus contamination, unless the food is served hot or cooled rapidly.

The most important source of bacteria in human environment is faeces and untreated water. Most bacterial contamination can be controlled by cooking the foods sufficiently, keeping the utensils and hands clean and uncontaminated. Holding times, cooling systems and serving hygiene should be taken care of well. The refrigerator can itself be a source of contamination and bacterial growth so it is important to clean it regularly, prevent cross contamination and of course, make sure it is not so stuffed that cooling is compromised upon.

One should assume that all and every food can cause poisoning, and take adequate precautions. Refrigerated foods should be kept well below 40 degrees F, and foods to be served hot, be maintained above 140 degrees F.

When having canned foods, never dip into the can to taste before heating the food well. All canned food should be heated thoroughly before eating.