Symptoms of food poisoning or food-borne illnesses can start soon after eating contaminated food, or they can hit up to a month or more later. For some people, like young children, older adults and pregnant women, food-borne illness can be extremely dangerous. Food-borne illness is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in a food before it is ingested. Consumers can take steps to protect themselves from this type of illness. Avoiding certain types of food is one option. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggests cooking foods thoroughly, storing foods at proper temperatures and washing fresh produce.
Shellfish
Paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, is a serious illness caused by eating contaminated clams, oysters and mussels as well as the tomalley of lobster and crab. The toxins that cause PSP are not killed by cooking. PSP causes a tingling sensation or numbness around the lips that spreads to the face and neck, as well as a prickly sensation in the fingertips and toes, headache and dizziness. The best way to avoid PSP is to ensure that the shellfish you plan to eat is obtained from reputable, clean water sources. Shellfish strain bacteria from the sea over many months because they filter-feed. Shellfish is particularly likely to be contaminated by any pathogens in the seawater, according to the CDC. Eating raw fish increases the risk because cooking will kill many bacteria other than PSP-causing toxins. Fully cooked fish should be hot, a minimum of 145 degrees F, all the way through and have a flaky texture.
Ground Beef
Ground beef is a food product that can be a combination of meats from many different animals. This type of food is particularly dangerous because a bacteria present in one of the animals can contaminate the whole batch. Thorough cooking of ground beef all the way through is very important to minimize risk. The internal temperature of your hamburger patty and all food made with ground beef needs to reach 160 degrees F to be safe to eat.
Eggs
In 2004, the "Journal for Food Protection" published a study that suggested that American restaurants are not always following the recommended guidelines for the storage and handling of eggs.The U.S. federal government published the Egg Safety Action Plan in December 1999 to encourage safe egg handling practices. Eggs should be stored in the refrigerator until used and then cooked to 164 degrees F before serving to reduce the risk of salmonella poisoning.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Food borne Illness
- PubMed.gov: Prevalence of high-risk egg-preparation practices in restaurants that prepare breakfast egg entrées: an EHS-Net study.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Food Thermometer Food Safety Tips
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Food Safety Facts on Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)
